Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Which can you name? Simpsons thump First Amendment

Okay, can you name all five "freedoms" of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States?

Think about it. Think some more. I really hope you did better than I did... I got three of five. Even that paltry score was better than most; only 1 out of 5 Americans could name more than one. And get this. Only ONE out of a thousand Americans could name all five. For comparison, the McCormick Tribune Freedom Foundation found, better than 1 of 5 Americans could name all five family members in the Simpsons television cartoon.

Sheesh, talk about embarrassed. At least I flunked that test, too... I know Homer, Bart, and that's about it.

Okay, have you fessed up to how many of the First Amendment freedoms you can name? Curious as to what they are? Here ya go....

"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."
— The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

In shorthand, that would be:
1. Freedom of religion.
2. Freedom of speech.
3. Freedom of the press.
4. Freedom to assemble.
5. Freedom to peacefully petition/protest.

(For more on this, see both the McCormick link above and the First Amendment Schools web pages.)

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