Within the United States constitution lies the First Amendment, 45 words that shapes the heart of American democracy. It guarantees five freedoms: speech, religion, press, petition, and assembly. However, the American people don’t believe all five are of equal value. According to Freedom Forum, “While Americans are holding steady about 93% saying the First Amendment is vital, a declining share feel that all five First Amendment freedoms hold equal value.” They continue with, “34% of the country says they’re all equally essential, down from 41% four years ago.” This decline in people’s views shows how people may not fully understand how interconnected each freedom is.
To truly understand the impact of how each freedom is connected, it’s better to focus on just one. This piece will focus on the freedom of speech is the more well known out of the rest. But what does the freedom of speech entail? According to Iowa State University they stated, “Freedom of speech is the right to articulate opinions and ideas without interference, retaliation of punishment from the government. The term “speech” is interpreted broadly and includes spoken and written words as well as symbolic speech. (e.g., what a person wears, reads, performs, protests, and more.)”
Imagine what it would look like if one of our freedoms was taken away, if the First Amendment was rewritten and they eliminate one of the five? Unfortunately, imagination might not be the case.
In recent times it seems like freedom of speech is already under attack. According to BBC, “US President Donald Trump said he would cut funding for universities that allow what he called “illegal” protests and prosecute and deport foreign students who participate.” A statement that simply targets the right to expression. The article continued and said, “Trump did not specify what would constitute an “illegal” protest. Broadly speaking, the right to protest is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.” With no clear answer of what makes an “illegal” protest, and no evidence if students are violating laws, these decisions blur the legal boundaries and show how fragile our freedoms can get when another is diminished. When free speech is restricted, it impacts how our rights to assemble, petition the government and engage in civil discourse are affected.
Everything starts with a voice, but if freedom of speech were to cease to exist, the heart of democracy would collapse. According to the Ford Foundation they said, “Without freedom of speech, we cannot cast out vote or call our representatives. Without freedom of speech, there is no women’s suffrage or March on Washington, no marriage equality or Black Lives Matter or #MeToo movement.” Everything that starts with a voice for change, whether advocating rights, challenging laws, or striving for activism is important. Freedom of speech is the core of how we petition the government, how we protest, what we put in the press, and how we practice religion. When speech becomes silenced, the foundation of the First Amendment will start to crumble
For our democracy to thrive, it is important we practice our freedoms as well as defend them. By engaging in our freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition, we encourage ourselves and others to understand how connected these five freedoms are. Defending one freedom, protects all of them.
