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Read the Bill of Rights and only the Bill of Rights (translation: stop after the first 10 amendments). Choose TWO (2) of the amendments that "speak" to you and comment on their place in American society. How important are they?
Also, you will be quizzed on these amendments sometime this week. Make sure you memorize them (though not verbatim).
Due: MIDNIGHT, Tuesday, Oct. 2
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
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I caught this blog early again. The amendments I choose to comment on are the fourth and the eighth. The fourth amendment guarantees against unwarranted search and seizures of person, house, papers, and effects. A loophole was quite recently found in this amendment that the government can still wiretap phone conversations, due for one because the writers of the constitution did not invision the telephone, and two because one person doesn't exactly own the waves that make up their phone call anyway. Legally, wiretapping is almost more like eavesdropping in a public area than unwarranted search. Nonetheless, I find wiretapping a bit freaky despite the argument that "If you're not doing anything wrong, then why are you worrying." It just seems like something could easily be taken out of context or some private manner could be used against you in your future life somehow. The eigth amendment deals with not charging excessive bail or giving cruel and unusual punishment. This is relevant today to the Guantanamo and "secret" Bulgarian prisons that the US currently holds "enemy combatants" in. It is completely certain that cruel and unusual punishment goes on in those places, yet the application of the Bill of Rights is debated yet again. Should the Constitution apply to these foreign holdings? The Constitution is just endlessly debated and stretched over when it should apply and when not and what this part means and everything. It is both fortunately and unfortunately a flexible document.
The two ammendments that I want to comment on are the fourth (like Nate) and the fifth. They both run along the theme of private property. Amendment IV states that the people have the right to be "secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects..." It also goes on to protect the people from unreasonable searches. It is pretty clear that Congress still held some Lockean ideals (property) in high acclaim. Locke's ideas echo throughout Amendment V as well, which (amoung other thngs) states that no person shall "be deprived of life, liberty, or property." Private property is a very important aspect of American society and culture, and it is interesting to see that Congress wanted to make fairly explicit provisions (in even more than just two Amendments) to protect the people's right to property. I agree with Nate that the Constitution is "both fortunately and unfortunately a flexible document" and that different interpretations of its meaning can lead to abuses (i.e. slavery and its justifications), but there is a nice reassurance that Constitutional interpretations can change to better fulfill the needs of the people as a whole. Hopefully, the people in charge of interpreting the law will continue to do so in a way that is beneficial.
hannah mauldin...
The two amendments that stand out to me are amendment 1 and amendment 4. Amendment 1 stands out in my mind because it is the one most commonly recited and the one that I find to be most important. Freedom of religion and freedom of speech are what sets the US apart from most other countries. The people have the freedom to do mostly they please. Amendment 2 stands out in my mind because it has a major negative side. Yes, many people use guns for protection and has saved innocent lives in some cases, but they have also taken many innocent lives. I think there should be more strict rules about people owning weapons.
hannah again!
*the people have the freedom to do mostly as they please
...my bad :D
(Okay, I’m starting off topic, but I will connect it, I promise...) Personally, I don’t think the old chaps did that great a job of writing the Constitution. There wouldn’t have been anything to debate about if they had. Not to mention adding stuff forever. The Constitution shouldn’t have been so broad, or able to interpret differently. But, the smart guys obviously wanted to have America stay in an endless debate for years. A source of entertainment, maybe. (I think the lack of television or books that didn’t use words like shall and thee had something to do with it.) The Bill of Rights was America’s way of editing. Sorry, but I didn’t really see why they didn’t just go and change the Constitution itself. Right, my bad-that would be too much work. Instead, let’s go and make a different document entirely and leave our Constitution broad and general. So much easier. And I really have to question how you can forget about individual’s rights and all that good stuff while writing the document that a nation will be based on! Now then, the Bill of Rights is not only all the human rights left out of the Constitution, but it’s practically a list of historical events. If you read it after having history drilled into your head (not complaining) it’s pretty easy to see that America didn’t want to have a government like Britain. Wow, big shocker there. The ones that stood out to me particularly were two and ten. Once again, bravo to the writers for making their writings so clear and so undebateable (hey! I made up a word!!). And I’m talking about the second amendment. So, does that mean individuals can bear arms or only members of a militia? It’s not just me with this question either, people have been debating it for years and years. But in the meantime, I guess we just decided to do both. Because the right to bear arms is so wonderful and useful and a great way to defend ourselves. Especially for people like Charles Whitman or Harris and Klebold. (please tell me everyone understood that was sarcasm-and those guys I just listed were basically people with guns who decided to shoot up a school) The second amendment is a good right, don't get me wrong. I just think guns shouldn’t be given away quite so easily. The tenth amendment, okay, not going into that again-this blog is long enough- but it’s too broad. It's important to the Bill of Rights, but that's a bad thing- it’s too much of a life saver. The people who were writing the Bill of Rights and the Constitution shouldn’t have had to have put in amendments like ten or have to keep adding forever (and I can understand a few amendments-we change over time, all that good stuff). Hello?!?! You’re kinda writing the basis of our nation. How about making sure you can’t misinterpret meanings or have to add amendments because somebody kept forgetting simple things like hmm- I don't know- human rights...
Like most Americans, the first ammendment is the most recognizable to me. Not only is it the one we all know by heart, but it has become one of the most controversial ones to date. Like Hannah said, America is set apart by it's freedoms. We, unlike most other countries, have the freedom to do and say as we please(or at least we would like to think we do). Lately, censorship has become a major issue; not only in society in general, but also in everyday things such as music and television. It really irritates me that radio commentators are being fired and music artists are continuously getting slammed for speaking their minds. In every debate over issues like this, the first ammendment is almost always brought up. It makes me wonder why we write these rules in the first place, if we're just going to break them.
The next ammendment I'd like to talk about is the eighth. As I've quickly learned, people often share different opinions(yes, I'm being sarcastic, we all have our own opinions...duh!), so the term "cruel and unusual punishment" really stands out to me. Honestly, what one person might find cruel could be just to another. Though I must wonder what they were doing to criminals before the Bill of Rights was written that made them write something so odd as an ammendment. I know that some things inflicted upon prisoners isn't always fair, and most times could even be "cruel" or "unusual", but my opinion is, if you didn't want to be punished, you shouldn't have committed the crime in the first place.
The amendments I choose to comment on are the first and fourth. Could you imagine America without the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion? It wouldn’t be a pleasant place to be. The first amendment is crucial to so many Americans. This amendment was important to the early Americans as well as us today. The fourth Amendment hits home with me because my mother owns a gun. I think every American should have the right to protected their home and family. This amendment is very important because when Hitler was rising to power he made all the German citizens register their guns and then has the SS go take them away so there couldn’t be any resistance. These amendments are probably the most know and most appreciated! Sorry for the other eight amendments, we love you too. I never thought about what Nate said about the wire tapping that is very interesting!! OH by the way this is Mackenzie Wilder and if anyone is reading my blog to respond to it – REMEMBER FLOAT BUILDING @ TYLERS BUT MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS BLOG FIRST !!!!!!!
Of the first 10 amendments, 8 & 10 stuck out the most because they are very vague. Number 8 talks about how there is to be no excessive bail, but the question is how to decide what is excessive and what isn't. But what if you are positive somebody did something but others are speculative who is to say what is excessive and what isn't. Also in amendment 10 its very vague because it doesn't clarify how far the senate's powers go or when the states powers start.
The Bill of Rights was written to satisfy the antifederalist's request to add a Bill of Rights. The newly formed Congress formed this document to protect the colonist's rights and liberties. The same Bill of Rights still applies to society today.
When I read the Bill of Rights, naturally the first amendment stood out to me. This short passage grants society the freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. Like Hannah said, the United States is known for its extensive freedom. This amendment also was a good move on the government's part because this allowed society to not feel restrained by their authority. The other amendment that stood out to me was the ninth amendment that granted the people rights that are not specifically stated in the Constitution. To me this seems that this amendment provides many, many "loopholes" for the people. With this amendment, society can get away with much more than the government intended. Although I do believe this amendment was good to add so that the people feel like they have many more rights than they actually have.
There's a part of Amendment #5 that caught my attention, stating " nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb", meaning you can't be tried twice for the same crime. This isn't the part people are refering to when they "plead the fifth", but it's interesting how it can be manipulated to work in the murderer's favor. For instance, if one were to fake the murder of another while really just kidnapping them and make it seem like the body has been thoroughly disposed of (like dumped into shark infested waters), and frame themselves as the culprit, yet still have just enough backup to get off innocent, then later on they could go find the person, who they really just kidnapped and locked up somewhere, and kill them in broad daylight and IT WOULD BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO CONVICT THEM OF MURDER. I saw this in a movie, actually, but it works out. The other amendment that I want to comment on is #6, which was frequently violated before and during the civil rights movement. Has anybody read To Kill a Mockingbird? The black guy was convicted of the rape of a white woman by a jury of all white men, and although he was innocent, the jury was not impartial as it should have been according to the constitution. Now it would be absurd to put such a case before a panel of racists, but it was in part due to these violations that the civil rights movement was fought.
Mrs. Stone it will not let me post again sorry.
Nick Foister
The amendments that stuck out to the most were numbers one and ten. One is the freedom of speech and religion. This particular amendment stuck out to me the most becuase it is the one that probably means the most to me. It means the most to me becuase it allows us to worship whatever, whoever, wherever, and whenever. The freedom of speech also means alot becuase it allows you to speak up and speak out against things. The other amendment is number 10. Number 10 says that powers not delegated to the US by the constitution nor prohibited by it to the states are reserved to the states respectively or the people. That interested me becuase one it is very vague and could be interpreted many ways.
The two ammendments that I choose where the first and seventh. The first one "speaks" to me because it is the most important amendment in my opinion. It protects citizens' freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. These are vitally important to almost everyone in the United States of America. Without being guaranteed these rights, our lives could be very different. We might not be able to voice our opinion freely without fearing for our lives. We might also be forced to follow a religion we do not agree with.
The seventh amendment is important to me because it allows everyone to be tried by a jury. This is important because your fate is not soley in the possession of one person. If we did not have this amendement I'm sure we would have a lot of people who were not tried correctly or fairly.
One more thing I want to add regarding my choices of amendments: The fifth as a whole is extremely important in order to keep us safe from such incedents that happened under Stalin's rule in the USSR as well as other cases around the world. As Alexandr Solzhenitsyn speaks of in The Gulag Archipelago, when the Soviet police had to meet a certain quota of prisoners, it didn't matter if the people were guilty or innocent or head officers of the Red Army. Under varying degrees of torture and interrogation they were all forced to confess to things they never did, and the entire process required no physical evidence except the prisoner's signature on their confession. The fifth allows for this never to happen, and evidence, obtained with search warrants, is always required. As a footnote, when Solzhenitsyn first read the Bill of Rights, he wept because he had never heard of such a thing. The sixth amendment goes a bit further into the legal process, but also balances and checks for the possibility of a bias in the system. the two of these make the legal process as fair as possible. "Justice is blind" and all that.
The Bill of Rights was written by Congress after the Constitution was ratified by all of the states. It was written to appease the antifederalist who had been promised that a Bill of Rights would later be added to the Constitution. The first amendment really stands out to me becuase that is the one the most people today know. Also, life would completely suck if there was no freedom of speech, press, religion, and all that jazzyness. I personally enjoy having those freedoms becuase i like being able to say what i like and to believe what ever i want. If everyone had to conform to the same beliefs then that would just be boring and the United States today wouldnt be as diverse. The second amendment that stood out to me was the ninth. The ninth amendment basically states that any rights not covered by the constituion are granted to the people. This amendment is sorta vague thogh becuase it does offer many loopholes and ways around laws. Some people could take this amendment to extreams and it could cause some major bad-ness to explode. But thats alright because thats what courts are for and other law enforcements I just dont think that some people are able to fully comprehend that there are probably limits to this amendment.
sorry to disappoint you mrs. stone but i didn't automatically tune out at the sound of your voice today!
This is Jared. Sorry but my password still will not work.
Amendment 1 and 2 stand out to me. The first amendment gives the right for citizens of the United States the right for freedom of speech, freedom of press, and the right of people peaceably to assemble. The first amendment has been used during the Vietnam war demstrations, todays war in Iraq, and Fox News, CNN, and other news channels. This amendment is very important because this makes America stand out among all the other nations. The second amendment is the right for citizens of the United States the right to bear arms and have a stand up army to protect and defend the Construtition and the people of the United States. This amendment is represented during the War of 1812, war in Iraq, and many other wars in our history. This amendment is important because this gives the ablity to allow citizens of this great country to volunteer their time in service to fight for the what is right.
nate how do you know that Guantanamo and "secret" buglarian prisons are tortuneing territorists. did you get this from moveon.org or dailykos.
Jared.
(I realize this is totally random and off topic but I'm gonna say it anyway...) I love how these guys emphasized the rights of the people and yet, as soon as a student sets foot onto campus, their rights are limited. I understand that some of it is for safety reasons (like the right to bear arms...obviously) but others (like the right to privacy and authorities having to have evidence and specific reason to search) are completely disregarded and we lose our rights to dumb "authoritative figures" who enforce lousy, random rules that don't pertain to learning or anything of that nature. **cough cough** I will not say any names. But that's just my opinion.
Anyway, so my first amendment that "speaks" to me is numero uno. It's one of the most famous amendments because it describes our freedoms. It reassures Americans that they have freedom of speech, religion, etc. and its really a comforting thought.
Amendment Four relates back to my problem with less rights for students. "The right of the people to be secure in their own persons...against unreasonable searches and seizures, SHALL NOT BE VIOLATED." And yet, if a student even smells smokey, or looks belligerent, and sometimes if he/she is black (sad but true; its not my thoughts but some teachers think like that) is subject to search. As you have probably realized, this really irritates me. While, yes, the Bill of Rights does state that anything not mentioned in the amendments are reserved for the states and the people, didn't you also say in a previous document-oh this little thing called the Constitution-that the people had a right to question the government on any grievances they might have? And if enough people debate the topic and suggest a better idea, shouldn't the government consider change? So apply that to school life and students should be allowed to protest against the rules our dictat-I mean principal enforces. And, again, if enough students protest these rules, he should consider change. *Oohh but wait, school isn't a democracy, it's totalitarian....
HA. =)
Like michael i choose to comment on the first and seventh admendment. The first like hannah said is what makes our country differnt from most others. We can say and worship whatever we wont because of this admendment. Then like michael said because of the seventh admendment your fate does not rest in one persons hands, it allows you to plead you innocense and to get a chance to be found not guilty. Because of this admendment many innocent people are found to be innocent and are let free, but if it were up to one person they would probably be going to jail.
I chose to comment on the eighth amendment, which is against 'cruel and unusual' punishment, and the first, which (is probably one of the few amendments nearly everyone knows off the top of their heads) is of course, the free speech amendment. I picked the eighth, because it seems to be the amendment directly concerned with the humane treatment of others. Yes, there is the amendment that gives right to a speedy trial, but that functions through the courts and isn't necessarily as the eighth, which can be basically interpreted to mean one should not torture other human beings in the guise of just punishment.
I picked the first just because it seems to characterize the ideals of freedom and democracy that the U.S. wanted to stand for. Religious tolerance was an immense step at the time, and so was the ability to actually speak out agaisnt the current people in power with legal protection.
Out of the bill of rights, the first and fourth amendment particularly stand out to me. The first, for obvious reasons. The freedom of religion is in my opinion the most important of the freedoms contained in this amendment. On the same note as Hannah, this freedom greatly separates our country from others. Next, the fourth amendment appeals to me because it's just handy. I love it because it protects us from the government infringing upon our personal items without probable cause.
The Bill of Rights was written by Congress after the Constitution was ratified. One amendment that stood out to me was the first one, not only because it is the most recognizable of the United States but it is what the United States is based on. The first amendment states that the United States has freedom to religion, speech, and press. I also agree with hannah, in that the United States is recognized for its many freedoms. The next amendment that stood out to me, much like everyone else, was the fourth. The fourth amendment states that we have the right to feel secure and protected within our own homes. This amendment stands out to me because my mom, like Mackenzie's mom, owns a gun, and there are some throughout our house just in case (we live in the boonies..you never know when you're going to need one...) People should have the right to feel secure within their own home without having to worry about being searched or violated.
The first amendment really stands out to me because it guarantees our freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. This amendment gives us the freedom to be individuals and freedom to speak our mind. Like Taylor said, this is the most recognizable and the one the majority of us know by heart. The second amendment is very controversal. I think that people should be allowed to have weapons for defense purposes but it is far too easy to obtain one. Although this is how it probably should be it is not how reality is. A lot of crazy people in the world ruin this priviledge for the normal people so it is probably better if only the military had to right to bear arms instead of everyone. All of the amendments are important to a successful government as long a they are interpreted properly.
The second amendment, the right to bear arms, is interesting--we had this discussion in IB English, about how we really aren't given the full liberties as dictated by the Bill of Rights, at school. To wit: Mrs. Clanton related a story about how a boy brought a hunting rifle to school (he kept it in the trunk of his car) to test this theory. Of course, he was dumb enough to brag about it, and so he was caught, suspended/punished, etc. This may be naive, I don't care, but you are also not allowed to bring weapons on planes, etc., and I think that some malls have detectors for weapons. In fact, most people will mistrust anyone carrying a gun...though Americans have the right to bear arms (to a degree), it seems that, as a nation, we want to be assured of our safety enough so that we won't have to carry one. Also, the eighth amendment stood out to me. They used to do some awful stuff back then--torture, draw & quarter, etc.! I'm glad that they decided to make those kinds of punishments illegal--and glad we don't have them (well--hopefully not here) today. Though, there seemed to be some controversy surrounding lethal injection--what they do is inject the prisoner with a high dose of pancuronium bromide (a muscle paralyzer), and then potassium chloride (to stop the heart from beating). The pancruonium bromide, however, is really enough to cause one's immediate suffocation, plus the people who inject these poisons aren't always properly equipped for the job. Neuroscience 101, yeah!
The two amendments that really stand out to me are the 1st and 10th. The 1st has a very important meaning in society today. It protects our freedom to express our opinions and share them with others. the 1st amendment gives us the freedom of expression and the 10th amendment gives us any other powers that aren't specified which works out to our favor. The 10th amendment gives many powers to the people as well. These two amendments give us the powers that our democracy is based on. They help us to help further the common good as well as protecting our individual rights.
The bill of rights was, and still is, a vital part of America. It sets us apart from many other countries giving us many basic rights. I believe that the second and fourth amendments are very much alike. The second and forth amendments coincide with freedom, basically, to protect your possessions. The second amendment states that the right to bear arms will not be infringed upon. The fourth amendment states that people have the right to secure their possessions, houses, papers, etc. from being violated and unreasonably searched (I paraphrased). These two amendments are very important because without them one would not be able to feel safe in their own house. Also, if one, or both, of the amendments were taken out there would be anarchy throughout the nation. Law abiding citizens would get the raw end of the deal because they would give up their arms but the people who already break the law would not lesson anyway. Both amendments are important and, and least in my lifetime, will not be taken out of the bill of rights.
The two amendments which stand out to me are amendment one and amendment two because they are very much present in today's world as an issue.
Amendment one gives freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, etc. which is a huge issue today because of two words, politically correct. Politically correct today includes no comments on races, genders, religions, anything. And comments about the government can earn you time locked up.
The other says that an army can be used by the state when needed. Which also shows a problem today because of the riots and the people who completely disagree with the war. The Amendments which were written centuries ago still cause problems today.
The first amendment is the most obvious and important thing that stands out to me. Freedom of speech, press, and religion is the huge chunk of a reason that America is a place of opportunity and diversity. Eventually with this discrimination is minimized federally, but not until much much later. It is highly relevant in American society because if it weren't for freedom of speech things would be a lot different in that the rights that we hold as Americans would be restricted. Diversity would be eliminated, people would be afraid to express their true feelings.
The other ammendment that really stands out to me is the fourth amendment because it talks about how it is the government's job to protect their natural rights. The judiciary branch holds the power and necessary importance to inforce this protection. It's position in American Society is the police, the president, and even local state legislatures to represent what the people want and need. Especially in consideration in protecting citizen's natural rights.
Hello there!
The Bill of Rights is extremely important in everyday life. I feel that these days the first two amendemnts are the most relavent. The first amendment secures citizens the right to free religion and free speech. Today it is getting hard to breakdown this amendment as to what is protected by it. For example, if someone decides to speak out against homosexuality are they protected by this law or will they get persecuted for hate crimes. There is a thin line between what is protected by the first amendment and what isn't.
The second amendment guarentees each citizen the right to own weapons. Today there are many debates as to whether this amendment is relavent in these days and times. The National Rifle Association (NRA) belives that each citizen deserves the right to own a weapon whereas there are many who believe that since we have a military we don't need weapons.
To me the the most important ammendments are the number one and two ammendments. One, because of the freedom of religion, speech, and the freedom of press. What would life be like without the media? Freedom of religion is what this nation was founded on. The pilgrims came here because they wanted to get away from the the church of England. The first ammendment is what makes this country so diverse. There is no other place in the world where you can find such a mix of people, religions, and ideas which is why we are the best country in the world. The second ammendement has a few negatives but is why our army can protect us. The negatives are that they can be used when needed and a lot of people don't always agree with it. The second ammendment also greatly helps us because of crazy people like Saddam Hussein.
This is Beth
The two amendments that stood out to me was 1 and 3. The first because it gives freedom of religion and freedom of speech and is the most relevant today. I agree with faith that it is a thin line between what is protected by this amendment and what isnt. Some one can say something and can be taken as a hate crime. The third amendment stuck out to me because people dont worry about things like that today. I says that teh soldiers couldnt just come into your home and live there without your permission. It was just basically in response to the quartering acts given by Britain. They wanted to make sure that this would never happen again.
Whadddup Mrs. Stone this is Warren.
The amendments that stood out to me the most were the first and fourth. Without the first amendment, most of what we think of as freedom in America would be gone. If the government regulated religion, speech, and the right to peacefully assemble, much of life today would be different. The fourth amendment stood out to me because its intent was to allow people to retain thier privacy unless they have done something wrong and that people should not be subjected to unjust searches. The thing is, as two of my good friends recently found out, is that this amendment is easily overlooked by law enforcement and I think that this amendment should have stricter enforcement.
-josh hammond
The first amendment stuck out to me the most because freedom is what mostly characterizes America. If we did not have these freedoms then we would not have the diversity that we do. The next amendment that stands out to me is the second because i have to agree with hannah. yes it is nice to be able to protect yourself but guns should not be so easy to obtain.
its blair.
Out of the first ten amendments the first and second one. The first amendment "speaks" to me because it's the most important one. Freedom of speech and religon set the United States apart from most countries. But it also causes more conflict. But I believe it is good to offer diversity to a nation and I'm glad I live in a country that does that. The Second Amendment sticks out to me because it talks about guns. I have no idea how to shoot a gun, so I should not be allowed to have a gun...(i think the gov. fixed that though? dont you have to have a license?) I think guns should only be used for protection BUT some people misuse this freedom and kill people. I think the second amendment should be stricter on guns, for example the laws to own a gun should be stricter.
Man float building is so much fun! I can't believe any teacher would try to take that opportunity away from students (such as us) just for a simple assignment (such as this) that could easily be done on any other day. I mean, somebody must be lacking a heart because every student deserves and has the right to participate in such event without the pressure of academic grades placed upon them. School work should not take away from one's social pleasures...So congress I hope you read this and take it into consideration for the 28th amendment!
No hard feelings Mrs. Stone!!
Anyway, the reason I'm writing this instead of building an award winning float is to bring to your attention two amendments that stuck out to me. The first one that stuck out is number one itself. I know most people chose this one, simply because it is the one that most people are familiar with and stuff like that and like everyone else, it stuck out to me because of how relevant it still is to today's society. It protects our freedom of religion, speech, press, and the right to peacefully assemble; all of which are very important to this day. The second one that stuck out to me is the third amendment. This stuck out because of the lack of relavence it has today. People in America today do not face the pressure of soldiers coming to their houses to be taken care of. The military provides everything a soldier needs. I mean, its a good right to have but really isn't a problem anymore in the U.S.
Following the ratification of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights was written to satisy the Antifederalists. Of the Bill of Rights the first and second amendments stuck out to me the most. The first amendment stands out to me, because it is the basis of our great country and the reason why most people move here. This amendment is certainly important considering it pretty much what makes us Americans (even though that right is constantly being restricted...but thats another story). If it were not for our freedom of speech and religion we definately would not be the country we are and our reputation would be quite different. Obviously freedom of speech was important to the writers of the Bill of Rights or else they wouldn't have made it number one on their list. Amendment two also stood out to me, because this particular amendment is discussed quite often in our society. Some people see the amendment as being good, while others view it as being bad. The right to bear arms is something we should have considering we need to have a sense of self protection and defense. The issue of this amendment has been brought up lately. Like Jackson said, both of these amendments are very present in our world today. Things are always being referenced to the Bill of Rights and the Amendments, but I mostly hear about the first and second amendments, making them the most popular right now in the US.
After the Constitution was written most of the anti-federalists were angry because they felt that it took individual rights away from them. That is why the Bill of Rights were written. I agree with most people that the first one that stands out to me is the first ammendment that declares the freedom of speech, press, religion, and to assemble. These are some of the most important because I personally use all of these everyday along with most people. I think that sometimes people take their freedom of speech to far and believe they can say whatever they want to. I believe there is a line that you shouldn't cross but this freedom along with the others in the first ammendment are necessary to my everyday life. The other one that I like is number 10 because it basically says that whatever the constitution does not cover is left up to the people to decide. This kind of goes along with freedom in that it gives the people the right to make some decisions and have some power. I think the main thing today is people not being totally controlled by the government and being able to make their own decisions. Thank goodness for the bill of rights
well i like the first and the fourth. the first because of the freedom of religion which protects you from being persecuted against to a certain degree. i like the fourth because it clearly diffines what the government can do in the way of searching your house and such. in the modern world the first protects none Christan groups and immigrants of none Christan beliefs from persecution and such. this is different from when it was written because back them most everybody was Christan and it really protected denominations from such. i like the fourth amendment because it forces the government to accuese you then find evidence instead of finding evidence and accusing you with what ever fits.
oops
-josh hammond
The ninth amendment stands out because no one else talked about it. Its important because someone would not be able to get away with infringing on someone's obvious rights because this amendment states that the rights listed aren't the only rights just most of the important ones. The eighth also stands out because it is the most random, unimportant, least specific, and no one talked aobut it either. Excessive, cruel, and unusual aren't defined so it gives no true guidelines. Many people think that hanging and electrocuting people is cruel and a little unusual, but that was done many times since these amendments were written. The 8th would make more sense if it had some more fine lines on bail, fines, and punishment.
Hey its jake from 4th
Well i think the most important ammendment is the 1st it pretty much somes up what our whole purpose for independence, and our economy today is based on. Without it we really wouldnt be the country we are today. Another is the 5th ammendment, its important because with a jury there is a better chance of getting the verdict right. It lessens the amount of innocent people who are charged for serious crimes greatly.
Liz...
Like many other people said, the first one that stands out to me is the 1st amendment because its the most familiar. When people talk about America, the first word that pops into peoples' heads is Freedom (ok well maybe not everyone but i'm thinking a good percentage does). Freedom of speech, religion, and press are the first idea i think of when i hear Bill of Rights. The second amendment that stands out at me is the 3rd. It doesn't seem all that important but it stuck out to me because of how much of a change things became. The other week we were talking about how soldiers could pretty much just walk up to some random house and be like, "give me food and a place to sleep" and the people had to do what they said. So i'm definitely liking the whole soldiers-can't-come-and-take-over kinda deal. The funny thing to me is these days people wouldn't mind as much and (hopefully) let soldier stay with them seeing as they do keep this land free.
The first amendment speaks to me, because though it's been drilled into our brains time and time again and we're close to being sick of it, all it takes is imagining our country if the freedoms and rights it protects were not in fact guaranteed to appreciate it again. Freedom of religion is, at this point, generally taken for granted by Americans today, and I really cannot imagine America being itself without this particular freedom, as freedom of religion is one element that encourages people of various other cultures to come to our country and continue to thrive in these rather than becoming homogeneous, and the mingling of various cultures is historically one of the strengths of America. The freedoms of speech and press often go hand in hand, and again, it is difficult to imagine an America where these freedoms are not protected. Americans tend to love their opinions (informed or otherwise) and love to express them openly. (Blogging, anyone?) The "right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances" always makes me think of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement in general. I place extreme value on what can be done by a group of people without involving bloodshed.
It's a simple thing, but number nine is another favorite. The fact that the government was yes, covering their own butts but was also protecting the people by protecting even those rights not mentioned in the Constitution. I think sometimes this idea is abused by American society, but it's important and necessary anyway, especially because with technology, changing moral codes, etc., today's society is very different from that of the Constitution's time. The rights which do and do not need extra protection have changed quite a lot.
Chosen amendments-
#s two and four.
Their place in American society-
#2 This amendment stands out to me because i know that it is one of the most controversial ones. During this time, it was important for the people to be able to fight at any given time, grab their guns off the shelves, and go. During our time, it gives us the right to protect ourselves in times of danger...which I find to be very important but that others find to encourage violent acts, such as robbery and murder.
#4 This one stands out to me because it gies our people a feeling of privacy and protection of that privacy through our government. It is important because it gives the people a reason to not allow people into their homes with no supporting evidence of a crime or illegal substance being held within the territory.
shazam.
The amendments that really stood out to me were the fourth and the sixth. The fourth amendment guarantees the basic rights that everyone has learned since elementary school; the freedom of speech, the press, religion, etc. The sixth says that a person has the right to be tried in front of a jury and cannot be convicted of the same thing twice. The first amendment is one that can be abused the most and can be translated into several different meanings. The freedoms that it guarantees are still being argued over to this day.
I chose the 2nd and the 4th amendment. The 2nd amendment stands out to me because many of my family and relatives served or are currenty serving in the military. Many politicians are trying to take our right to bear arms and downsize the military. If the right to bear arms is revoked then the crime rate will go up. But if guns are illegal, then wouldn't crime go down? My answer is no. Many countries in Europe and also Australia have outlawed guns and instead of crime being reduced, it went up in leaps and bounds. Governments have gone as far as to prevent police officers from carrying a firearm. I think the gun is critical not only to a nation's safety but also to the people's safety as well. The 4th amendment deals interested me because with the Patriot Act signed by president Bush if a person is suspected of terrorism, the government has the right to search the perosn's house and belongings without a warning. Normal investigations have to have a search warrant in order for the law to search their belongings. If there wasn't a 4th amendment then the law enforcement could break in any time thus invading people's right to privacy.
I was absent the day this was assigned
The fourth Amendmant speaks to me first because there are many places such as school...where it seems that someone can just come up to you and say they have the right o serch for saftery measures..such as school.
The other one that speakes to me is number 8 cruel and unusual punishments. It speaks to me for many other reasons, that i can't all name. But where it is to decide what is inhumane and what is not. who decides that. Also ..if the person beging "tourtured" if they did something bad enough to desere that. who's say is it to stop that, or to let it go.
**vickytoria... [=
Hey Mrs. Stone this is Brian Thompson, sorry it's late!
I chose to comment on the second and third amendments. The second amendment states that all people may bear arms, I like this one in particuler because I myself enjoy having personal firearms of my own. Also I think it helps with peoples safety to own weapons with all the crime that is rampant these days. The third amendment states that no troops can be quartered in personal houses or buildings without the owners consent. I believe this is important because alot of familys have trouble just supporting themselves let alone a few soldier!
the rights i value the most are the first amendment becuase without these the government would be restricting the human rights that they fought for and this amendment allows me to express my opinion about subjects and allows for people to get a different pov on any subject matter. the other amendment that i value most is the right of trial by jury this gives a CHANCE that the jury will be just and fair on making a decision on your case
I was absent that one day. So yeah.
The two amendments that I chose to comment on are the first, and the second. The first "speaks" to me because I think that it might be the one that is most relevant to the average teenager. The right to free speech is a big one, although in the school environment, where the rights outlined in the constitution aren't really existent. Also, with the first amendment, no one really knows where to draw the line. What is right for someone to say/print, and what is wrong? Or, can anyone just say/print whatever. This goes back to the alien sedition things. Similar to our story about shooting the president, or something. The second amendment, the right to bear arms, also speaks to me. I personally, don't care whether or not we get this right. I personally, don't own or bear fire arms. Neither does my family. So...this amendment speaks to me actually because it doesn't speak to me. If that makes any sense at all... If this right was different, it'd be interesting to see if the high level of violence related to fire arms would be the same as i is today.
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