What is the first amendment

The major difference between the United States and other governments is the right of freedom of speech. No where in the world is this right held so dearly. The argument over freedom of speech has been going on since the inception of the United States. Founding Father James Lincoln called freedom of speech “the tyrants scourge”(Emrod). Tyrants, dictators, and despots despise freedom of speech because it leads to dissension and rebellion.

The Founding Fathers argued vehemently for the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. Today, many people would like to see those rights rescinded. A large group of people in the United States believe the problems of modern society can be solved by restricting freedom of speech and other First Amendment rights. They claim that artistic violence leads to real life social violence, and that some individuals need to be saved from the potential dangers of modern society.

Therefore, under the mask of a good cause, they wish to curb the rights of all citizenry by calling for censorship of television, music, and the media, demanding prayer be returned to schools, and banning smoking. These First Amendment revisionists claim they wish to go back to the moral values of the founding fathers to bring stability back to the American family. According to the National Issues Forums, Freedom of Speech Where to Draw the Line “Many people are convinced that some forms of expression cause physical, and political harm to individuals and to society as a whole” (National Issues 9). The problem is depending on your point of view you may not agree with what that censorship should be (29).

The same can be said of smoking, but the choice whether or not to smoke—although second hand smoke does effect others—should be left up to the individual. Society has until an individual is eighteen to teach the values and morals that are the norm in a given society. Once a person reaches eighteen, they must be allowed to make the decision for themselves.