Constitutional Rights: Bill of Rights
...hes, are, radio, books, television, the internet, and other sources of mass media. The 1st amendment states that an individual has the right to be exposed to different points of views. On the other hand, like most laws and/or rights there are exceptions as well as limits. The 1st amendment is in fact limited in numerous ways. The exceptions to free speech include obscenity, deformation, commercial speech, and fighting words. The reasons for the limits are completely reasonable, for the simple reason that they all protect other individual’s rights. For example, a way these limits protect and individual is by limiting everyone’s freedom to freely curse, harass, or verbally influence another person to retaliate, resulting in a possible fight. This refers to the limitations concerning “fighting words”. This limit states another citizen can not use their freedom of speech to attract another into a fight. I feel these limits on freedom of speech are essential for they help protect everyone’s right to the pursuit of happiness. The 4th amendment is one of many amendments that most people would find hard to live without in certain circumstances. This amendment states that all citizens are to be secure while in their homes, papers, and effect against unreasonable search and seizures. This means that one’s privacy may not be violated by another, or more commonly, the government. Yet, there is an exception to the amendment which states that one’s home or private belongings may in fact be searched with a warrant, but only unless probable cause is intact. The classic example where this takes place is if a suspected drug dealer is hiding drugs, the officer must first obtain a warrant to search the suspect’s household. The most recently passed amendment is the Patriot Act proposing that one’s property may be entered even without the hassle of a warrant if terrorist activity is suspected. I believe this amendment is a key factor to protecting this country from foreign attacks. Perhaps one of the most important Amendments concerning law and the act of violating the law itself pertains to the 6th amendment. This Amendment states that in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall be entitled to a trial by j...