Taken for granted by most Americans, the freedom to practice whatever religion one wants is an American value that the U.S. spends considerable effort exporting. It begins with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which declares, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
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Colleges and universities that violate the First Amendment rights of their students may soon find themselves in court. Speech First launched on Wednesday with a mission to support the free-speech rights of students “on campus, in the courts, and in the media.” Nicole Neily, president of Speech First, said the legal group will level the playing field between college students and the powerful institutions they attend.
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Christians have earned a notorious reputation for being “nice” — at times, too nice. Some have come to see Christians as easy targets, suckers to be exploited, people to be made fun of or mocked. They believe we’re too stupid, too fearful, or too “nice” to decline even the most unreasonable of requests.
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People shouldn’t be forced to surrender their First Amendment right to decide for themselves what organizations they support just because they decide to work for the state, their local government or a public school.
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In early Saturday morning tweets, President Donald Trump set his sights on left-leaning late-night television hosts. Comedians such as , and have increasingly made headlines for their political monologues and jokes directed at none other than the president of the United States Trump said the hosts were “always anti-Trump,” and he brought up a 1934 “equal…
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Dear Tennessee Star, I spent ten years serving this nation in uniform. My dad served four years when he was young. My son retired from the Air Force, serving honorably with multiple tours in the Middle East. I have friends who made careers serving in the military. One in particular served over thirty years earning several medals, including three purple hearts and the Bronze Star. Another friend served 28 years, and lost her husband in combat while he served in Afghanistan. Other friends served in WWII, saving the world from fascism. Some came home maimed while others buried their friends on foreign soil. Back in the ’60’s, soldiers returned from Vietnam only to be met by protesters who berated and spat on them. While the protesters were protected by the First Amendment, their actions were deplorable. As far as I’m concerned, professional athletes who refuse to stand for our National Anthem not only disrespect our flag, they are figuratively spitting on every man and woman who served this nation in uniform. Athletes play their sport because they’re talented. We served our country because of our principles: Duty, Honor, Country. I’m a strong advocate for the Constitution. I’m a firm believer…
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This is the sixth of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on September 23. The First Amendment was passed by Congress September 25, 1789, and ratified December 15, 1791 along with the nine other amendments that comprise The Bill of Rights. It reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or 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. The First Amendment combines five specific rights into one fundamental law guaranteeing freedom of expression: (1) Freedom of Religion (2) Freedom of Speech (3) Freedom of the Press (4) Right to Peaceably Assemble (5) Right to Petition “The first amendment is the most important in the American Constitution because it protects the things that make us what we are, including talking, and writing, and worshiping,” Dr. Larry Arnn, professor of politics and history and president of Hillsdale College, wrote recently. The Founding Fathers knew that these unalienable rights already belonged to the…
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