Your freedom of speech says that Americans have the right to voice an opinion. An example of freedom of speech is the self-expression of lyrics on an album. American citizens have the freedom of religion. This right says that you can choose to practice any religion. For example The right to be a Jew who believes in Jesus.
Amendments five and six are talking about criminal rights and the right to have fair trial. If one American citizen is accused a special group of people called the grand jury will be selected to decide whether or not there is enough evidence. Double jeopardy can not be brought upon a person for that same offense by the same government. Although a person may be tried a second time if the jury cannot agree on a verdict.
Amendment six discusses rights we have in a trial. If a person goes to trial, it must be public with an open minded jury. The requirements for a speedy and public trial were brought about by some trials in England that were kept in secret. Amendment six also says that we must be informed of the charges held against us and should be allowed to meet the witnesses against us face to face. Otherwise innocent people can be punished if the court allows the testimony of unknown witnesses to be used as evidence. The amendment guarantees that if we are on trial we can face and cross-examine those who have accused us . Reasons for that are if we are ever in a trial, cross-examining will show whether or not the accusers are lying or just made a mistake. And finally, we allowed to hire a lawyer to help defend our case if we want one.
The right to vote is important to young people because, as the Constitution says in Amendment 26, "it shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of age." When a person turned eighteen and fought in the war, they felt because they were dying in the Vietnam War for their country that they should have the right to vote. Black American individuals also felt that they should have the right to vote. So naturally they would deserve the right to be treated as an equal and be allowed to vote just as every other citizen.
Walter Lippman stated that "a free press is not a privilege, but a ...necessity in a great society.'' Freedom of the press generally prohibits such forms of government censorship, such as destroying printing process, preventing stories from being printed, shutting down newspapers that criticize the government, or ban motion pictures before they are shown. Therefore, freedom of the press gives publishers and so forth the right to print something that has been written.
These rights are well organized. In order for anything such as the constitution to be fair or equal, things have to be well organized.
Emily Peck
Jeff S.
Amber J.
Richard S.
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