Reflections on the First Amendment

The First Amendment is one of the most important Amendments in the Bill of Rights. The forefathers felt that the Bill of Rights was needed in the Constitution to assure the rights of the people and proceeded to add such protection in the First Amendment. Presently and throughout history the First Amendment stands as an important role in America.

Many believe it is the most valued Amendment that carries a significant amount of protection for the citizens of the Untied States of America. The provisions of the First Amendment were created to guarantee the secured rights of the American people and were used to protect citizens in trial.Rights and Responsibilities Given by the Constitution Knowing and understanding the rights given by the Constitution is the responsibility of the United States citizens. It is also the duty of each citizen to abide by such rights. The First Amendment declares that Congress cannot pass a law that infringes upon the rights to the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, petition and religion. Another important right given by the Bill of Rights is the right to a fair trial.

This ensures that citizens receive due legal process when arrested or accused of a crime.This right has been exercised in several cases that have involved the First Amendment in the Constitution. Significant Cases The First Amendment in the Constitution had several cases that involved the Supreme Court. For example, Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940) and Edwards v.

South Carolina (1963) are significant to the trials involving the First Amendment. In the case Cantwell v. Connecticut, Newton Cantwell and his to sons, Jesse and Russell, were arrested in New Haven, Connecticut for going door to door to solicit donations for their religion (Jehovah’s Witness).They were soliciting on a predominately known Roman Catholic street.

They were charged for soliciting of funds for a religious purpose without a permit as well as breach of the peace (Reuters, 2013). In the case of Edwards v. South Carolina, one hundred eighty seven African American petitioners were arrested in South Carolina for peacefully protesting the policies of segregation at the state Government. The protesters as well as the crowds were non-violent and had not threatened to become violent.

The petitioners were charged with the common law breach of the peace (Edwards V.South Carolina (1963), 2010). Both of these cases were brought to the Supreme Court because the arrests violated the First Amendment in the Constitution. Constitutions Protection of the Right to Privacy The Constitution itself does not protect the right of privacy. However, the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights protects specific rights of privacy, such as the privacy of beliefs.

The third Amendment protects the privacy of one’s home from demands of housing soldiers and the Fourth Amendment protects privacy against unreasonable searches of a person and their possessions.Protection for the privacy of personal information against self incrimination is the product of the Fifth Amendment. The Bill of Rights expresses in a broad manor that the right to privacy does exist for American citizens. Although quite controversial, the question of whether or not the Constitution protects privacy is evident within the Bill of Rights (Linder, 2013). Interpretation of Each Case by the Supreme Court In the Case of Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940), the State of Connecticut had arrested and charged Newton Cantwell and his son’s for soliciting their religion door to door where residents were known to be Roman Catholic followers.

This case needed to be heard and interpreted by the Supreme Court because it infringed on the Cantwell’s right to the freedom of speech as well as religion. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor for Newton Cantwell and his sons and overturned their convictions (Cantwell V. Connecticut (1940), 2010). Similarly, in the case of Edwards v. South Carolina (1963), one hundred eighty seven people were arrested and charged for peacefully protesting segregation in South Carolina.

The Supreme Court needed to hear and interpret this case because it infringed on their rights to free speech, free assembly and freedom to petition for a redress of rievances.The Supreme Court ruled (8-1) in favor for the petitioners and overturned their convictions (Edwards V. South Carolina, 2005-2011). Both cases dealt with the rights of the First Amendment and the Supreme Court had a major impact on the outcome of each case. Present Affects of Supreme Courts Decision The Supreme Court’s decision in both of the cases had a significant effect on the rights of American Citizens today. The affect of the decision in the Cantwell v.

Connecticut case is that it made it impermissible for states to require a license when spreading a religious message.It does not pose a threat to share a religious message in public because the freedom of speech acts. This case directly affects the religious freedom in the United States, allowing the citizens free exercise of religion. The Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Edwards v.

South Carolina ruled the breach of peace statue unconstitutional. The First Amendment does not permit punishment for the use of the opportunity to protest, allowing future protestor’s protection with the freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the freedom to petition for a redress of grievances.The First Amendment stands as one of the most important roles in the Constitutions Bill of Rights. Citizens have the responsibility of knowing and understanding any laws or rights given in the Constitution.

Every citizen in the United States of America has the right to a fair trial when accused of a crime and may exercise the rights given by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. The cases Cantwell v. Connecticut and Edwards v. South Carolina both involved incidences where rights from the First Amendment in the Constitution were infringed upon and the cases need to be heard interpreted by the Supreme Court.

The Constitution has a broad extent to the protection of privacy that is evident in the Bill of Rights. With the Supreme Court’s decision in each case that ended with an overturn of convictions. The significance of both of these cases is evident in the present with the First Amendment’s protection rights. The secured rights of the American people were guaranteed by the provisions of the First Amendment and were used to protect citizens in trial.