Happy 4th my menders. Let freedom ring!
I want to develop this blog in a linear past, present, future kind of way. Here is an article I found by Cornell Law School. It explains some of the freedoms we enjoy today.
PAST CONTENT
First Amendment: An Overview
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. It prohibits any laws that establish a national religion, impede the free exercise of religion, abridge the freedom of speech, infringe upon the freedom of the press, interfere with the right to peaceably assemble, or prohibit citizens from petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted into the Bill of Rights in 1791. The Supreme Court interprets the extent of the protection afforded to these rights. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Court as applying to the entire federal government even though it is only expressly applicable to Congress. Furthermore, the Court has interpreted the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as protecting the rights in the First Amendment from interference by state governments.
Freedom of Religion
Two clauses in the First Amendment guarantee freedom of religion. The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish an official religion or preferring one religion over another. It enforces the "separation of church and state." However, some governmental activity related to religion has been declared constitutional by the Supreme Court. For example, providing bus transportation for parochial school students and the enforcement of "blue laws" is not prohibited. The Free Exercise Clause prohibits the government, in most instances, from interfering with a person's practice of their religion.
Freedom of Speech / Freedom of the Press
The most basic component of freedom of expression is the right to freedom of speech. Freedom of speech may be exercised in a direct (words) or a symbolic (actions) way. Freedom of speech is recognized as a human right under article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The right to freedom of speech allows individuals to express themselves without government interference or regulation. The Supreme Court requires the government to provide substantial justification for the interference with the right of free speech where it attempts to regulate the content of the speech. Generally, a person cannot be held liable, either criminally or civilly for anything written or spoken about a person or topic, so long as it is truthful or based on an honest opinion and such statements.
A less stringent test is applied for content-neutral legislation. The Supreme Court has also recognized that the government may prohibit some speech that may cause a breach of the peace or cause violence. For more on unprotected and less protected categories of speech see advocacy of illegal action, fighting words, commercial speech and obscenity. The right to free speech includes other mediums of expression that communicate a message. The level of protection speech receives also depends on the forum in which it takes place.
Despite the popular misunderstanding, the right to freedom of the press guaranteed by the First Amendment is not very different from the right to freedom of speech. It allows an individual to express themselves through publication and dissemination. It is part of the constitutional protection of freedom of expression. It does not afford members of the media any special rights or privileges not afforded to citizens in general.
Right to Assemble / Right to Petition
The right to assemble allows people to gather for peaceful and lawful purposes. Implicit within this right is the right to association and belief. The Supreme Court has expressly recognized that a right to freedom of association and belief is implicit in the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Freedom of assembly is recognized as a human right under article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This implicit right is limited to the right to associate for First Amendment purposes. It does not include a right of social association. The government may prohibit people from knowingly associating in groups that engage and promote illegal activities. The right to associate also prohibits the government from requiring a group to register or disclose its members or from denying government benefits on the basis of an individual's current or past membership in a particular group. There are exceptions to this rule where the Court finds that governmental interests in disclosure/registration outweigh interference with First Amendment rights. The government may also, generally, not compel individuals to express themselves, hold certain beliefs, or belong to particular associations or groups.
The right to petition the government for a redress of grievances guarantees people the right to ask the government to provide relief for a wrong through litigation or other governmental action. It works with the right of assembly by allowing people to join together and seek change from the government.
(https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/first_amendment - Last Updated in March of 2020 by Elvin Egemenoglu.)
PRESENT CONTENT
In church this past Sunday, our Pastors took the opportunity to honor and express how grateful we are for our military’s sacrifices. The title of the service was “Red, White and Blue: Freedom for me, Freedom for you.” Here is a link to our live stream:
These are some of my notes from the message:
“We are sooo grateful. If it wasn’t for the military’s sacrifice, we would not have this freedom life. The power of the embrace has a human emotion that brings tears to my face. Imagine the day Jesus got to see His Heavenly Father again on that Great ascending day.”
FUTURE CONTENT
I will be doing some traveling this month, and so you will be hearing from three lovely ladies in my life. Freedom of speech seems to apply here, hence why I added that past content goodness.
Meet Holly and Mayleigh Ledbetter.
I have mentioned her many times this year on my blogs. She has been living a life after death story since her husband crossed over into glory in February. I know God has something powerful to share through her heart, and so she will be your writer next week. What a treat!!!
Next up will be Amber Ballance.
She has been a writer probably since utero. For me to be able to allow her the space to park some of her beautiful thoughts and words is an extra sweet treat for me and I know it will be for you too.
Finally, meet Brittany Vandiford.
She is a mother of three. She has been a part of my church for years now. Her story of encounter with the Holy Spirit will be a treat to read. While we were contending for Holly’s husband’s life, Brittany chose to fast. Something lit up inside of her and she has been on fire in the Spirit on the next level ever since.
They might not have chosen these pictures, but it shows a lot about their personalities. So, enjoy Monday’s with Micah: Friends Edition.
This will be a Freedom of Speech Month of Treats!!
Until next time,
Stay tender.
Connect to the Mender.
Be a sender.
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