ATES NEWS www.atesschoolnews.com Educational and Informative News! $1.00 First Amendment Rights: Freedom of Speech is a Critical Fundamental Right The First Amendment to the United States Constitution embraces a lot of our basic freedoms we exercise everyday, including the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is a critical fundamental right Americans need in order to live without fear of voicing their opinions. First of all, imagine if you purchased a poor product and had no right to voice your opinion about it. So many more innocent consumers would purchase the same item and nothing might be done to make improvements to it. Likewise, what if you went to a restaurant and were served spoiled food and had no right to complain? Many Americans rely on consumer ratings when deciding to purchase items and services. Finally, could you imagine being arrested for stating your opinion about anything? Let’s be real-without freedom of speech America would be like living in prison! Written by Dr. Artrip Taylor, Chief Editor