The forefathers of the United States of America introduced many radical ideas for their time. Some of their ideas can be found in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution; phrases like "All men are created equal; and "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" exemplify these ideas.
The United States Constitution is the foundation of the government. The original Constitution written in 1776 stated various laws and procedures for the government; however many citizens criticized the Constitution because it failed to mention individual rights such as freedom of expression. In 1791 the first ten amendments to the constitution were adopted, these ten amendments became known as the Bill of Rights.
The First Amendment guarantees the people of the United States freedom of religion, expression, assembly and petition. Unfortunately not everyone in the world is so fortunate. In many places the first amendment is seen as a privilege rather than an unalienable right.
English: 14th Amendment of the United States Const...
English: The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendme...
English: 16th Amendment of the United States Const...Democratic Governments are by the people, and run through elected representatives. Without freedom of expression, religion, petition and assembly a democratic government cannot exist. The First Amendment and democracy go hand in hand with each other. During times of war there is always opposition to the actions of the government. An example of that would be the war between the US and Iraq, many American citizens were against it, but the government went to war. The people of the U.S. exercise the right to protest and make sure that the government is aware of their opposition to the war.
In the United States there are many cultures living together. I feel that without the First Amendment this diverse range of cultures would not be able to coexist with each other. For example, there are beautiful Churches, Mosques and Synagogues all in the same neighborhoods. The people are...