The implications of the 1st and 2nd Amendments to the U.S. Constitution

Running head : CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Constitutional Amendments

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The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America provides limitations on the powers of the U .S . Congress from creating laws that might infringe on the rights of the people , from the right to freely exercise any religion that the people want to the right to peaceful assembly . The First Amendment has five key components : the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses which prohibits Congress from establishing an official religion or from restricting people from

exercising their own religion the freedom of speech which guarantees every individual the freedom to speak without being restricted and censored the freedom of the press which ensures that individuals are given the freedom to express their opinion and that the government recognizes a free public press the right to peaceable assemble which guarantees the rights of individuals to form unions and other groups that cater and defend their interests and the right to petition which recognizes the rights of the people to petitions to the government for the correction of an injustice done without being sanctioned with the same punishment

On the other hand , the Second Amendment to the U .S . Constitution seeks to protect the natural right of individuals to carry and possess weapons . One interpretation of the Second Amendment is that it applies to a well-regulated militia ' composed of able-bodied men in the National Guard which excludes individual citizens . Another interpretation of the Amendment is that it applies to all individuals especially those outside the National Guard , because it intends to protect the right to bear arms as an individual and basic right

The relationship between the First and Second Amendments can be understood in terms of the protecting the rights and freedoms of the people against any law or rule that can oppress the people and their liberties . The protection accorded by the First Amendment in terms of maintaining their liberties against any legal impositions created by the Congress highlights the importance of the people since the very source of the democratic power of the entire State rests on them

In contemporary times , certain issues confront the freedom of the press to protect sources of information , the legal separation of the state and the church , and gun control . It is common belief that the press is an institution predisposed to exposing the truth . As far as the freedom of the press to protect their sources is concerned , the controversy rests on the responsibility of the press to preserve the life security of their sources by concealing their identity and on ensuring the veracity of the information the sources give . More importantly , the controversy may arise from the situation where strictly confidential government documents are released to the public through media outlets such as newss and television broadcasts in to shed light on matters of national interest . One popular incident is the case of New York Times Co . v . United States where the Supreme Court ruled...