Question: What is the importance of free speech in the First Amendment of the Constitution?

Focusing on the Constitutional -

Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
(U.S. Constitution, Amendment I)

Free to Speak Up Against Government by George Sweeney

This is possibly the most vital of all the rights enumerated in the Constitution and its amendments. In this amendment the people reserved to themselves the right to directly address governmental wrongs. In the absence of such rights the people are silenced from criticizing the government or their actions. They are left without recourse to any action of the government.

Examples of the results of the absence of the right to dissent can be seen in Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia as well as many nations today.

A free society can always endure dissent and debate, but when the right to dissent is removed a free society can never remain free but buckles to tyranny.

Send us your comments about issues in this newsletter.

Do you have a question regarding the Constitution?

Send us your question.

Would you like to contribute to the CACP Newsletter (GEMS)?
Click here to view requirements.

We need your help to reach our goal to get Gems to the email of each and every elected official, government employee, members of the news media, social studies and history teacher in the US and abroad. Send us only their email addresses, we will send them Gems. If they do not wish to receive it unsubscribing is as easy as clicking on the "unsubscribe" link. This newsletter may be the only study they may have of the Constitution.
Share the Constitution.

Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world.- Daniel Webster

This is always a free subscription! We guarantee our subscription list is never shared with any third party. Ever!

Did you miss an issue of Gems. Find it at CACP.info
To unsubscribe click here.

To contact webmaster.