Argumentative Essay: The First Amendment In Public Schools

The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. What the First Amendment allows American citizens is the freedom to practice their religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the freedom of the right to petition. America does not have a state-wide, announced religion but the early colonists were mainly protestant, therefore, Christianity continued through each generation until now. Christian practices are accepted as the norm in the United States whether

America is known to be called a “melting pot” because we are diverse county with many religions, therefore, constitutionally, each American citizen must be a loud to practice their rights. An example of the free exercise clause being expressed in schools today is allowing students to request excused days off school to observe a religious holiday. Public schools are not open on national holidays but they are open on days they are religious holidays that are not observed as a Nation. With this being said, students are excused from school on absent days for religious reasons (p. 246). A second example of the free exercise clause being expressed is having the freedom to pray in school. A student is a loud to pray to themselves or with other students but a teacher or administrator cannot be present or in charge. This is freedom to practice religion in school but religions cannot be forced upon other students. Instead of having a prayer over an intercom, we now have a moment of silence to allow those who want to pray, the opportunity to do