naudiz
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2000
- Posts
- 2,942
Since this comes up a lot, and in these turbulent times it seems to be cropping up more and more, Naudiz Busybody Inc. would like to cheerfully supply this Free Speech Primer, USA ed. for your use, free of charge.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
That's the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.
What does it mean?
* Congress can't establish an official national religion.
* Congress can't pass laws that would infringe on you practicing your religion.
* Congress can't pass laws that would infringe on your right to speak your mind.
* Congress can't pass laws that would limit your freedom to print what you want.
* Congress can't pass laws that would make it illegal to gather peaceably or to organize petitions for a redress of grievances.
Miscellaneous Examples
If someone gets fired from a privately owned institution for airing their views, the First Amendment has nothing to do with that. Whoever owns the business makes the rules.
Likewise, if you print up a bunch of flyers supporting your views on boinking penguins, Congress can't make you stop, but the owners of private establishments can refuse to let you post said flyers on their property.
If you want to gather peaceably to protest the war, or to protest the war protesters, you can do that providing: a) whoever owns the property where you gather permits it (or it's public property) and b) the gathering remains peaceful. Once laws start getting broken, it's no longer a peaceful gathering.
If I invite you over to my house for dinner, and in the middle of the second course you go off on a homophobic racist rant, and I kick you out of my home, your right to free speech has not been infringed upon. You have every right to say what you want, but in my home, on my property, I have the right to kick your ass to the curb and tell you to not come back.
If I own a business, and I've hired you to do a job, and while you're on the job, you're using my resources to print out hate propaganda, or even a letter to your grandma, I'm well within my right to fire you -- your freedom of press has not been infringed upon, because it's my press you're using. Get it?
If Congress tries to pass a law that would make it illegal to gather peacefully for the purpose of protesting the war, that would be unconstitutional. Your rights would be infringed upon, and I would hope Americans, whether they support the war or not, would raise holy hell about this, because it would set a dangerous precedent.
So that's the deal with the First Amendment. Learn it, love it.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
That's the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.
What does it mean?
* Congress can't establish an official national religion.
* Congress can't pass laws that would infringe on you practicing your religion.
* Congress can't pass laws that would infringe on your right to speak your mind.
* Congress can't pass laws that would limit your freedom to print what you want.
* Congress can't pass laws that would make it illegal to gather peaceably or to organize petitions for a redress of grievances.
Miscellaneous Examples
If someone gets fired from a privately owned institution for airing their views, the First Amendment has nothing to do with that. Whoever owns the business makes the rules.
Likewise, if you print up a bunch of flyers supporting your views on boinking penguins, Congress can't make you stop, but the owners of private establishments can refuse to let you post said flyers on their property.
If you want to gather peaceably to protest the war, or to protest the war protesters, you can do that providing: a) whoever owns the property where you gather permits it (or it's public property) and b) the gathering remains peaceful. Once laws start getting broken, it's no longer a peaceful gathering.
If I invite you over to my house for dinner, and in the middle of the second course you go off on a homophobic racist rant, and I kick you out of my home, your right to free speech has not been infringed upon. You have every right to say what you want, but in my home, on my property, I have the right to kick your ass to the curb and tell you to not come back.
If I own a business, and I've hired you to do a job, and while you're on the job, you're using my resources to print out hate propaganda, or even a letter to your grandma, I'm well within my right to fire you -- your freedom of press has not been infringed upon, because it's my press you're using. Get it?
If Congress tries to pass a law that would make it illegal to gather peacefully for the purpose of protesting the war, that would be unconstitutional. Your rights would be infringed upon, and I would hope Americans, whether they support the war or not, would raise holy hell about this, because it would set a dangerous precedent.
So that's the deal with the First Amendment. Learn it, love it.
