1. { The First Amendment

2. 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.

4. 1. It affirms the freedom of the individual.  Affirm means to state as true  We are born with natural rights. The government’s job is not to “give” us rights, but to protect the rights we have been born with. First Amendment Principles

5. 2. Free expression is the foundation of a democracy. * The idea is to allow people to share information to make choices in order to prevent bad government.

6. 3. The government must keep its “hands off” our religion, our ideas, and our ability to express ourselves. *Congress should not be passing laws that take away our first amendment freedoms. However, our freedoms are not absolute.

7. 4. Other people have rights, too. * We have a civic responsibility to safeguard freedom even for people who we disagree with. The public and the government should not have the authority to stop an unpopular idea. The viewpoint of the minority must also be respected.

8. 5. The first amendment helps us make choices. *When all ideas are permitted to flourish, individuals will as well. * “The antidote to distasteful speech is not censorship, but more speech.”

9. 6. When rights collide, the government must balance them.

10. Rights (The first protects our individual rights) Responsibilities (We must help protect the individual rights of all people) Respect (We can disagree, but do so with respect) The Three R’s

11. Freedom of Religion We can … *choose which religion we want to practice or none at all *express our religious beliefs without fear of persecution Pakistan Blasphemy Pakistan Blasphemy We cannot … The Government cannot …  Establish a national religion  Favor one religion over another  Interfere with our religious beliefs  Called the “Establishment Clause” – sets up separation of church and state

12. Freedom of Speech We can … Voice and express our ideas and opinions Voice and express our ideas and opinions http://www.npr.org/bl ogs/thetwo- way/2012/11/19/165466 671/outrage-in-india- over-womans-arrest- for-facebook-post http://www.npr.org/bl ogs/thetwo- way/2012/11/19/165466 671/outrage-in-india- over-womans-arrest- for-facebook-post http://www.npr.org/bl ogs/thetwo- way/2012/11/19/165466 671/outrage-in-india- over-womans-arrest- for-facebook-post http://www.npr.org/bl ogs/thetwo- way/2012/11/19/165466 671/outrage-in-india- over-womans-arrest- for-facebook-post We cannot …  Use certain forms of speech (see handout)  Slander (tell lies that hurt another person’s reputation)

13. Freedom of the Press We can …  Criticize our government without fearing arrest  Get information and hear different opinions (Covers all forms of print and electronic media) We cannot … *Print lies about a person that would damage their reputation (Many of the same limits with free speech also apply to the press) China's Freedom of Press... or lack thereof China's Freedom of Press... or lack thereof

14. Freedom of Assembly We can …  Meet and gather with others to discuss views and issues  Form groups and associations We cannot …  Be disorderly or violent  Violate the rights of others or laws (Restrictions can be placed on the “time, place, and manner” of the gatherings) 8th Grade Winning Essay 8th Grade Winning Essay

15. Freedom of Petition We can ….  Ask our government for change or to hear our complaints  We can criticize our government and its officials without fear of punishment  We can do this through letters, emails, petitions, telephone calls  Start your own petition! Start your own petition! Start your own petition! We cannot …. *Make libelous or slanderous claims against the government