The Actions And Speech Are Protected By The First...

One of the many battle grounds of debate in the U.S. currently is what actions and speech are protected by the first amendment. Since there is so much that is not directly defined in the Constitution, there is room for interpretation on whether or not certain it is protected by it. One topic in particular is supporting the terrorist group ISIS. ISIS is a group of Muslim extremist based out of Syria. Their goals are to create a radical extremist state, the caliphate, through religious violence (Abu Mohammed). This group has been shown many times on the news, either making threats or executing prisoners. They have been attacking people in the Middle East, and are now currently fighting a war against the U.S., England, and many other opponents to terrorism. Verbally supporting ISIS should not be protected by the U.S. Constitution, due to the violent and threatening nature of the group. Before the United States declared its independence from the British Empire, the colonies we under tigh t rule. Opposing the monarchy’s rules in any way could be considered treason. Also, there was no freedom to practice or express people’s own religions. Even the press was controlled by the monarchy’s say. The American people longed for a new system that allowed them to practice religion freely and not have to regulate their speech to conform to their government’s rules. This is one of the main reasons why the American Revolution occurred. After the colonies gained independence, they establishedShow MoreRelatedFreedom Of Speech By John Locke Essay1325 Words   |  6 PagesFreedom of speech is the right given to all United States citizens to express their opinions openly, without having to fear legal punishment. However, the idea of this freedom goes back far before the United States was even declared an independent country. In the 16th century, European thinkers such as John Locke began to discuss freedom of speech as a basic human right, a necessity for a free and thriving society and a well governed country. In the United States, freedom of speech is split intoRead MoreIs Flag Burning Protected By The First Amendment?1617 Words   |  7 PagesBurning Protected by the First Amendment? Adriana Ramirez First Amendment Dr. Helen Boutrous December 8, 2016 Mount Saint Mary’s University The First Amendment says: 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 to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. 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However, these  flag desecration laws only lasted until 1989, because  in 1989, in the Texas v Johnson case,  the United States Supreme Court recognized that flag desecration as a form of symbolic political speech that is constitutionally protected by First Amendment and agreed that the â€Å"government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable†( ). In 1984, during the Republican National Convention in Dallas TexasRead MoreThe Case Texas V. Johnson782 Words   |  4 Pagesprevented the desecration of a venerated object. He was convicted, sentenced to one year in prison, and fined $2,000 (Texas v. Johnson (1989), Bill of Rights Institute) Johnson first appealed his conviction to the fifth Court of Appeals of Texas, arguing that his actions were â€Å"symbolic speech† protected by the First Amendment. However, he lost. Then he appealed the case to Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the court overturned his conviction. 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The Bill Of Rights was created on December 15th of 1779 and was created to make some rules in the future because no one had the freedom to do anything. Most were punished if they spoke their opinion, they did not even have the right to choose their own religion. But that all changed when James Madison wrote the Bill