In countries such as Cuba, the citizens are not free to express their views. Reporters and journalists in Cuba are not allowed to inform the people of anything that the government does not approve. Internet use is even controlled in Cuba. The citizens are not able to have access to the Internet unless they are a part of certain group. The people of Cuba are seriously oppressed under Totalitarian control because one man rules the country and he is not a fair and just man. If the United States did not have the Branches of Government and Separation of Power, one person would be able to control the rights and freedoms of the people. The Constitution and Bill of Rights was created so that the citizens of America are protected from ever being under the Totalitarian rule, like Cuba and other countries similar to it are under.
The first Amendment in the Bill of rights protects the Citizens of the United States freedom of assembly, speech, religion, and it protects the journalists so that they can report the news as it is, not as the government wants them to report it. All of these freedoms are important to the citizens of the United States. However the freedom of speech is most relevant to me. It is the basis of all of the other portions of the first Amendment. Religion is an organization of believers who share the same views, while it is important that people are able to assemble together in church’s, even if the government took that right away the most important portion of a persons religious beliefs could never be taken away. A person’s personal relationship with God is between him or her and God, no one else. That can never be taken away even if the right to assemble together and publicly express a persons belief is taken away. If my freedom of speech was taken away it would disable me as a citizen. Citizens must have the right to speak their minds. Such as in this class doing this particular report. If I did not have the freedom of speech I would be unable to write this paper without fear of punishment. If my freedom of speech was taken away I would live in fear at the workplace or even in the store with my friends. I would not be able to voice my opinion about my government or any other subject that the government felt the need to control.
The freedom of assembly has been very important over the years. If it had not been for the freedom of assembly, Black people in the United States would still be oppressed. Martin Luther King jr. was able to form a group of many people and assemble to lobby for freedom and rights for the black people. In 1964 the “Civil Rights Act” was passed and black people were no longer discriminated against because of the color of their skin.
Journalists and the media do not always report the truth. They are biased and sometimes report more than they need to about certain subjects. However it is important that the United States Citizens have the right to freedom of the press. If not for the freedom of the press the people would only learn information that the government or those in control want them to know. The citizens of America would not know what is going on in the world and would doubt anything that would be reported if it was controlled. This type of control could lead to a Totalitarian rule because people would not even know who to vote for in elections.
The right to bear arms in Amendment two has a strong effect on my freedom as a Citizen of the United States. If an intruder breaks into my home and threatens my family or myself I want the right to defend my family and myself against bodily harm. It has been proven if the law abiding citizens right to own guns is taken away, the criminals are the only ones who purchase guns. Knowing that law-abiding citizens do not own firearms, the criminals attack. The crime rate in Australia rose drastically when the law abiding citizens right to bear arms was taken away and the citizens had to surrender their weapons. Homicides rose 3.2%, Assaults rose 8.6%, gun homicides rose an amazing 300%. The rise in crimes shows that people who abide by the law must retain their right to bear arms.
Amendments six, seven, and eight all protect my right to be proven guilty of a crime before being punished for a crime that I am accused of. If a person obeys the laws and does what he or she is suppose to do, as a general rule Amendments six through eight will not effect his or her life. However there are instances where a person is falsely accused of a crime. It is comforting to know that the Constitution protects citizens from being punished for a crime that he or she did not commit before going to trial and being proven guilty. Sometimes innocent people are proven guilty, but most of the time the system works and the innocent prevail.
When the Constitution was first written the framers had not taken into consideration changes that might take place as the years went by. Until the year 1920 women had to abide by the laws and leaders who were voted in yet they were unable to vote, they had no voice. The nineteenth amendment gave women a voice. To live in a fair society everyone who is a citizen of the country should be able to vote on the leaders and laws.
The United States of America is a wonderful country to live in because of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The people in the country have the right to vote on changes to the Constitution when it becomes necessary to change or amend articles. To avoid a Totalitarian ruled government it is important for people to have the rights and freedoms that the Bill of Rights and Constitution provide. The United States is a country with many freedoms, the Citizens sometimes take them for granted, however they are all important so that America belongs to the people, not the government. The Constitution and Bill of Rights are in place to insure that the citizens of America continue to live in a free country.
