What does the First Amendment mean to you? And do you beleive this is the most important amendment or not?

Question

What does the First Amendment mean to you? And do you beleive this is the most important amendment or not?

Answer 1

Without free speech, the other provisions are difficult to enforce. If we can't shout out that something is wrong, we can't change anything.

Answer 2

No, it is not the the most important Amendment all of the first 10 are equal in weight and significance.  You would not want some unelected court to tell you that your neighbor's  right to political expression trumps your right to defend yourself.  

Read the first amendment --- it does not convey any rights but it clearly restricts Congress from restricting or reducing the rights of ever individual in America.   Look at how much Congress has violated the intent of the 1st Amendment.    Polictical speech has been restricted in time, quantity, and purpose.  You know longer have the true right of assembly or association for any such assembly and associations are subject to oversight.

Legally, Congress may not take an individual's rights, but the people may give them away.  

Remember Franklin's adege "He who gives away liberty for security, will have neither."

Remember the right to speech and the press will only exist so long as individuals will be willing to take arms to defend those sacred concepts --- if the government at any level makes the notion of defense a crime --- they all hope is lost.

Recall what happend in LIBERAL, ENLIGHTENED, EDUCATED, GERMANY in 1933 --

Answer 3

Corruption thrives on silence, fraudulent records and incomplete documentaion--within passivity.

Answer 4

It is probably the most important idea within our legal system.  The moment that one is silenced is the same moment that we lost what America is.  Even extremist groups that I would consider idiotic (like the KKK for example) have their place and should not be censored.  (I repeat, I think they are idiots.)  It keeps people from becoming too strong or weak.