Wednesday, December 19, 2012

First Amendment Rights

     Over the last week we have talked a lot about the first amendments.  The five amendments are freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of petition and freedom of assembly.  Those freedoms are designed to protect our rights so the government can't take them away.
         One of my biggest questions is what is the extent of freedom of religion.  I know you have the right to practice your religion freely but how far does that right extend.  If your religion goes directly against the law are you still allowed to practice your religion. For example, if a child is sick and its against their religion to get them medicine and the child dies can the parents be punished.  That situation happened a while ago and at first the parents were sentenced with man slaughter but they had it removed because they told the judge that that was their religion.  The judge repealed the sentence.  In that case freedom of religion won out but will freedom of religion always win?  I think that although we have the freedom of religion if what we do in out religion goes directly against the law than the law should be more important.
      Another question I have is what is more important: the school code or freedom of speech.  Technically we have the freedom to say mostly whatever we want as long as it isn't threatening and isn't fighting words.  Normally in schools if you say what you're thinking it doesn't matter that you have the freedom of speech the school code wins out.  I think that the answer to my question is that the school code is more important that freedom of  speech. Although that may sound weird because the freedom of speech is a stronger and more important thing, normally school code wins.

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