Page 197 - Beers With Our Founding Fathers

A Patriot’s view of the history and direction of our Country

First Amendment

Personal Freedoms of Expression
The First Amendment covers the most fundamental of

birthrights that every individual, regardless of country in the world,
should be free to exercise. These rights cover personal expression –

from the written and spoken, to the spiritual; and from individually
to as a group. Most important – you can speak of and petition your

elected government. The value of these rights cannot be
overstated. Imagine a country in which your every word was

scrutinized, censored and approved or denied. Imagine wanting to
send an email, but having to have it ‘processed’ first. Imagine being

punished – perhaps harshly – for simply speaking your mind,
practicing your faith, meeting with others to air grievances, or

confronting your government with their wrongs. Of all the
birthrights, the First Amendment is probably the one taken most for

granted – many act so naturally with it that it is unrealized. For
others, it is the lifeblood and any threat to restrict these rights is

met with fierce resistance. And should be. I believe that this
amendment is first because of its value to both the individual and its

interwoven relationship to the remainder of our Bill of Rights.
This is how the colonists – in the British Atlantic Colonies, and

throughout the world lived. Although citizens of their mother
country, they not only had no equal representation in government,

they had no representation in their voice, faith or in their

government. They were oppressed and lived in fear. In early history,
not only were the nobility the ruling class, but only they could own
property. To own property was to be of the upper class – landed

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