Study: Americans’ support of First Amendment grows
By Roger Yu, USA Today
Americans’ support for the First Amendment rebounded strongly over the past year, a new study says.
Three-quarters of Americans say it “does not go too far” in ensuring Americans’ freedom. That’s a jump from 57% last year after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 stirred public debate about the role of social media during a crisis and the media’s use of shocking images, according to State of the First Amendment 2015, a report by the Newseum Institute’s First Amendment Center in partnership with USA Today.
A year ago, 38 percent said the First Amendment goes too far, but the current survey shows only 19% agrees with the sentiment. The study saw a similar dive in public opinion and a subsequent recovery after the 2001 terrorist attacks, the authors noted.
What I find amazing is that 35% of the population believes that the constitution establishes a “Christian” nation. Wasn’t it supposed to be a separation of church and state as well as the freedom to worship as you choose?
I could not agree more with worldcycle.
Freedom to worship, or not to worship, as you individually wish is what the constitution poorly apparently, was about.
This article is poorly illustrated, and seems to contain conflicts, and I believe, one outright error.
Maybe you ought to actually read the Founding Documents. They’re really in very simple language. It’s just the lawyers who twist the words into new meanings.
Dog. Read the US Constitution. There is no reference to any Deity. The Declaration of Independence mentions “Creator.”
First Amendment 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.”
There are many people under the guise of many opinions that have interpreted the 1st amendment in different ways. Its not just the lawyers. And they didnt stop with the first amendment…
1. Free speech is not free.
2. Free speech does not equate to speech without consequences.
3. Free speech applies to all citizens, not just the loud ones.