Ever since I was a small child, I was very opinionated. My mother could attest to this since much of our time together consists of arguing in one way or another. Now it’s not that we don’t have a good relationship, it’s just that both of us have very strong opinions that we want the other to recognize. It is through the first amendment that we are granted the freedom to express ourselves in this way. Without the first amendment I would have probably been hauled off to jail for my loud mouth. The first amendment protects against more than the petty arguments with my mom. It protects against all freedom of expression through religion, written word and speech ( “First Amendment.”). The freedom to freely practice the religion of our choosing is very important in my household. My mother is a Protestant Christian and my father is a Catholic. Without this amendment it is unlikely my parents could have gotten together without a source of conflict. In England, only one religion was accepted at a time, and it varied between who in the royal family was in charge. This was the reason many English citizens chose to immigrate to the New World (aka America) so they could freely practice their own religion (“Christianity in Britian”). The first amendment has allowed me to grow up in a household that encourages different religious ideals and for me to be able to think critically about my identity in this way. The first amendment has also given me the pleasure of growing up in a two parent household, without the first amendment my father would definitely be spending time in jail for criticizing the government. Being able to point out the flaws of a government institution is the only real way to make improvements. If people such as my father couldn’t call out officials that act inappropriately in representing the American public, the society in which I grew up would be a completely different place. The first amendment helps curtail government corruption and allowed me to grow up in a country that doesn’t ban girls from getting an education or control its citizens through fear and that has most definitely impacted my life in a great way. So let’s give a round of applause to the first amendment. Go you!
Works Cited
“Christianity in Britian.” Religion. BBC, 27 Apr. 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
“First Amendment.” LII / Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
Hi 