Rights Assignment

1. What is your right?
2. Why does your right exist?
3. Describe what it means to exercise your right.
4. What limitations exist on your right?
5. Why do those limitations exist?
6. If you had to give up this right, what would you want in return?

1. The right I chose was Freedom of Speech. This right means having the freedom to speak and voice your opinions without having any limitation or censorship on what you say. This is my favorite right because I love being able to express myself without fear of consequences.
2. This right exists because we are part of a democracy and within a democracy, you need to be able to express yourself because in a democracy everyone's perspective counts and so you should want them to be different so we can come up with the best possible solution to whatever we happen to be facing at the time.
3. The right to freedom of speech can be excercised by speaking about what you believe without having fear. You can do this by believing in yourself and knowing that you have the right to share your beliefs with others. This right allows you to have freedom of expression and religion too. Finally, this right does not allow congress to infringe on these rights.
4. There are limits on freedom of speech when it interferes with other rights or values. It may be censorsed if what is being said is offensive or harmful. There are limitations when having to do with hate speech if what is being said can lead another person to commit an illegal act. Freedom of speech is considered to be one of the rights in the US that is actually allowed completely. In reality this right isn't always liable, because in many places like school, work places, and multiple others you will face a consequence if they don't believe in what you are saying.
5. These limitations exsist, because people believe without them their would be other crimes commited or without them we would be conflicting with other rights. They are also put in place to keep some order and respect because how are bosses, teachers, or whoever else supposed to command respect when people can say and express themselves however they want.
6. If I had to give up this right the only thing I would even consider trading it for is the Freedom of Assembly. I feel that I shouldn't have to give up my freedom of speech because what it does is it allows people to express themselves which makes society stronger. So, if I had to give it up then I would choose Freedom of Assembly in return because it allows people to express themselves in other forms and creates power throughout the citizens, so it is they way it should be. People should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of its people.

1.
http://www.answers.com/topic/freedom-of-speech

2.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freedom-speech/

3.
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment01/

4.
http://topics.law.cornell.edu/wex/First_amendment

5.
http://www.csulb.edu/~jvancamp/freedom1.html

6.
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am1

7.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/firstamendment/firstamendment.cfm

8.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/amend_1.htm

9.
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html

10.
http://www.ushistory.org/documents/amendments.htm