Amendment1Press

  **__ Amendment One: __**__ Freedom of the Press __     By:Mason,  Rachel,    Danielle  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. **__ Analysis __**** : ** This amendment states that the people have the right to say whatever they want without getting penalized for it. Reporters, journalists, critics, etc. get to say their view on what happening. Back in the colonial times, colonists couldn't say anything they wanted, because if they did they would risk getting fined, sent to jail, or worse. That's why they added this amendment to the bill of rights, so that the colonists can say what they want without getting in trouble.  **__ Case: __**__ Pickering v. Board of Education (1968): __ When high school science teacher, Marvin Pickering, had written a letter to the school board about not giving money to the academics and athletics department for improvement and spending their money on building 2 new schools, he had been fired for writing false statements. But then the teacher sued the Board of Education because he said that they had interfered with the Bill of Rights. The big dispute was taken to court on the 27th march, 1968.

The argument had started when the board of education of Township High School in Will County, Illinois tried to get voters to pass a bond to raise more than $5 million to build 2 new high schools. The bond was passed. When they needed more money to raise their millions of dollars the board had to raise taxes. Pickering thought he should step in and share his opinion. <span style="font-size: 40%; color: rgb(43, 36, 224);">  <span style="font-size: 40%; color: rgb(43, 36, 224);"> He sent a letter to be published in the local newspaper, //The Lockport Herald//, and was mad the way the board handled the bond and tax raise to build two new schools. In his letter he quoted things like: "Perhaps others would enjoy reading them [back issues of the paper] in order to see just how far the two new high schools have deviated from the original promises by the Board of Education." "As I see it, the bond issue is a fight between the Board of Education that is trying to push tax-supported athletics down our throats with education, and a public that has mixed emotions about both of these items because they feel they are already paying enough taxes, and simply don't know whom to trust with any more tax money." He then ended the strong letter with: <span style="font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(0, 176, 80);"> "I must sign this letter as a citizen, taxpayer and voter, not as a teacher, since that freedom has been taken away from the teachers by the administration. Do you really know what goes on behind those stone walls at the high school?" Pickering had lost before a trial judge, which he thought would happen, but he didn’t give up. He then appealed to the United States Supreme Court. He had won 8-1 from the court. The high court then concluded that Pickering’s right should not be taken away because he is a school teacher. He was given his job back at Township high school, then he retired in 1997. In the end he quoted, “It was costly, <span style="font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(0, 176, 80);"> I mean it took a lot of time and strained my finances. But I survived and lived through it." <span style="color: rgb(142, 47, 177);">  ** __ Application: __**<span style="font-size: 20pt; color: rgb(0, 112, 192);"> **__ How does/could this amendment impact my real life? __**  Since we have this amendment, we can share our opinion without having to be told, “No you can’t say that!”  But, problems, like the court case, still happen because people try to stretch out how the right is suppose to be resembled as. If we didn’t have this right we would be able to talk about things in your religion because other people may not believe like you and then you could be sent to jail, fined, or worse!  <span style="color: rgb(244, 26, 26);"><span style="color: rgb(240, 154, 40);"><span style="color: rgb(242, 33, 33);">**__ Sources: __** 1. Hudson, David. "Teacher looks back on letter that led to firing — and Supreme Court victory." __Freedomforum.org__. 20 June 2001. Freedom Forum. <span style="color: rgb(148, 54, 52);">[|<http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=14445 >]. 2. "Pickering v. Board of Education (docket #: 510) (1968)." __Firstamendmentcenter.org__. First Amendment Center. <span style="color: rgb(148, 54, 52);"><http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/faclibrary/case.aspx?case=Pickering_v_Board_of_Ed <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 51);"> >. 3. "Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. 563 (1968)." __Firstamendmentschools.org__. 4 Dec. 2008. First Amendment Schools. <span style="color: rgb(148, 54, 52);"><http://www.firstamendmentschools.org/freedoms/case.aspx?id=317 >. 4. "We Need Your Help!" __Kids Voting Leon County__. 2008. <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 51);">[|<http:///www.kvlc.talstar.com] />. 5. "Newspaper from the date of your birth." __Totally Gifts__. 2007. <<span style="color: rgb(148, 54, 52);">http://www.totallygifts.co.uk/newspaper-gifts/newspaper-from-your-date-of-birth.html <span style="color: rgb(148, 54, 52);">>. 6. World Press. "Hello World!" __Day-life__. Dec. 2008. <span style="color: rgb(148, 54, 52);"><http://day-life.net/2008/07/31/us-wasted-560-million-on-iraq-repairs />.