Among the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights, the first amendment on freedom of religion, speech and the press standouts out for me as the most important one today. According to Shiffrin (2014), it outlines that the Congress shall not interfere with the establishment of religion and therefore every citizen has a right to free exercise of religion. It also guarantees the freedom of speech, the press and the right to peaceably assembling and petitioning in the case of grievances.
This Bill of Right has an immense impact on the life of the American citizen today. The growth of many churches and denominations owe their existence to the freedom of religion that is enshrined in the Constitution. Also, the freedom of speech, right to assemble and present petitions to the government has helped in shaping the democracy of the United States. Workers, minority groups, students, activists and other social groups have immensely benefited from this right as they can present their grievances to government authorities in the face of oppression or injustice. The press' freedom has also been crucial in ensuring the citizenry receives unbiased news from the media.
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Current political issues facing the first amendment include aspects in the Bill that hinder proper political discussions. The campaign finance and the speech doctrines constrain participation in political discussions hence narrowing the range of ideas such discussions take into account. Regarding free expression, the world has moved into a digital age with the rise of social media, blogs among others. The challenge comes about on the role of the government in ensuring free expression in such sites ( Shiffrin, 2014). The freedom of the press has also faced some challenges when politicians castigate it for publishing stories and news that are false, defamatory or biased. The first amendment has therefore been accused of protecting lies.
Reference
Shiffrin, S. H. (2014). The first amendment, democracy, and romance . Princeton University Press.
