2025-03-31 18:40:29-07:00 Mon First Amendment
First Amendment Explained
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.
---via U.S. Constitution - First Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/
The article "How Each Pillar of the 1st Amendment Is Under Attack" on Krebsonsecurity.com, dated March 2025, argues that the Trump administration is eroding the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Here's a summary of the main points:
Freedom of Petition
- The article claims this freedom is being undermined by actions such as GOP lawmakers avoiding town hall meetings, the firing of individuals involved in processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the use of encrypted messaging to avoid creating records, and making it more difficult for citizens to challenge federal agencies in court.
Freedom of Assembly
- The article asserts that this freedom is threatened by discouraging lawful demonstrations at universities and colleges, threatening to cut federal funding for colleges that support protests, and detaining and deporting pro-Palestinian students.
Freedom of the Press
- The article states that this freedom is under attack through lawsuits against news outlets, threats to "open up" libel laws, and restrictions on which reporters and news outlets are allowed to cover White House events.
Freedom of Speech
- The article claims this freedom is being undermined by the circulation of lists of prohibited words for government communications and the freezing of funding for programs that empower civil society and human rights groups.
Freedom of Religion
- The article argues that this freedom is being threatened by the rescinding of a policy that protected "sensitive" places like churches from immigration enforcement actions and the creation of a "Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias."
You can read the full article for more details at
