Pros And Cons Of The 1st Amendment

The first Amendment grants freedom concerning, religion, assembly, expression and the right to petition. These clauses are very satisfactory for the people of America. They cannot be taken away from the government or anyone else. However, if they are misused the government has the right to intrude. This essay will discuss the five clauses in the 1st amendment. It will also provide pros and cons for each. One clause is freedom of speech. It is divided into two clauses, establishment clause and free exercise clause. The establishment clause is “no government in the country should establish a religion, there shall be no preferential treatment to one religion.” (class notes) That is why America believes in separation of church from state. Whereas,

However, in the case of Sullivan, the Supreme Court ruled that there is a difference between public and private figures. In a public figure, an individual decides to tell the media about themselves, therefore they cannot sue if the media makes jokes. On the other hand, there is a private figure, which is an individual who has not told anyone about himself or herself, therefore they can sue the media if they make jokes. This will fix the issue of misusing the media. Lastly, a pro can be that everyone has the right so send information that might seem important to others.
The fourth clause is freedom of assembly. “You cannot prevent anyone to go to where he or she wants to go.” (Class notes) We all have the right to travel and make our own decisions. We also have the right to assemble a peaceful protest. This is important because when a law is passed not everyone agrees with it. Because of that, people want their opinion to matter. A pro to this is that everyone has the right to express him or herself and to go where they wish. A con can be that not everyone is able to control him or herself during a protest. There is when the government and police come in