The First Amendment AHA! 11 th grade Interdisciplinary Project Cunnane, Erby, Stahl, & Favianna

PAY ATTENTION Pay attention & participate I will tell you when you need to take notes

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.

The 5 parts of the 1 st amendment RAPPS: Religion Assembly Press Petition Speech

Religion: The government cannot tell you what to believe in or practice The government cannot tell you what NOT to believe in or what NOT to practice

Assembly: Citizens can come together in public and in private You can meet for political, social, religious, or recreational purposes

Press: Information can be accessed from a ton of sources Government cannot control what is printed in newspapers, books, magazines etc. or what is broadcasted on TV or the radio Citizens can write what they want: letters to the editor, post their own websites or blogs, & make flyers…

Petition: You have the right to request changes from your government You have the right to request stuff from your government  contact representatives, petition for new laws

Requesting a change in the law….

Speech: (expression) Say what you think! The government cannot make laws prohibiting what can say or tell us what to say Citizens have the right to criticize the government

“If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.” ~Noam Chomsky “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” ~Voltaire

The First Amendment is based on 6 principles:

1) First Amendment affirms Freedom of Individual Inalienable Rights Freedom of Consciousness: protect everyone, not just majority Our ideas belong to us Example: I am free to believe in the death penalty

2) Free Expression is the Foundation of Democracy Shared information leads to informed choices and informed decision making Example: multiple news sources provide varied information and perspectives

3) “Hands Off” policy The government can regulate time, place and manner of political or religious beliefs but cannot regulate content Example: I have the right to be pro choice but if I want to hold a rally in SF I have to get a permit first

4) Other People’s Rights First Amendment belongs to all Americans First Amendment protects minorities  limiting some rights will eventually limit everyone’s rights Example: If I am the only person in this room to support the War in Afghanistan, do I still have the RIGHT to my opinion? Can I still VOICE my opinion?

5) Balance of Rights Courts (government) steps in when 2 rights collide; often involves defamation Defamation: communication about a person that damages the person’s reputation –Spoken = libel –Written = slander

Example of defamation Actress Cameron Diaz sued The British Sun for implying that she had an affair with a married man. This was slanderous to her reputation (2005).

6) Questioning We can question what we want Asking questions helps us to understand choices and make better decisions

So why is there a contradiction between our First Amendment rights as written and as practiced?

Learning Objectives: students will understand (write this down) 1) The theory of the 1 st Amendment as written & the practice of 1 st Amendment rights; 2) How artists have used 1 st Amendment rights for social change & the legal limits of this expression 3) Who is responsible for restricting 1 st Amendment and on what basis; who is accountable for upholding the 1 st Amendment & on what basis?