America Without the First Amerndment

Keep all the other amendments in the Bill of Rights, but have Freedom of Speech taken out, along with the other provisions.

What laws would have come out without that safeguard?
 
Just for reference may i have the original wording in this thread?

It could be placed in between the lines of the other admendments. Lawyers are good at finding these things.
 
Just for reference may i have the original wording in this thread?

It could be placed in between the lines of the other admendments. Lawyers are good at finding these things.

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.
 
I think this would be highly problematic. Try imagining a RR not as muzzled by separation of church and state :eek:. Also with assembly gone the government can interfere in the normal affairs of any disliked minority. With a simple declaration suddenly Jewish, Muslim, and non-state church Christian services are banned.
Other Bad Things:

  • Given the puritanical vibe of American social life "controversial works" (IE just about everything at some point or other) are likely to be banned.
  • As Right of Petition is now gone sending a letter asking your congressman for something controversial (or anything at all) can be banned or impeded. Particularly if you are a less then fondly viewed minority.
  • You want to start a newspaper or website perhaps publish a book? Well you have to prove to the Board of Licensure that you are patriotic, morally upright and that your publication meets the Standards of Decency. Oh and pay $10,000 for the license and another 5 to have the rights to own a printer.
  • Did you just say something unflattering but completely true about a politician or other public persona? Sure hope they don't throw you in jail for Defaming an Authority of the United States and Sedition
All this and more brought to you by the lack of a first amendment. Frankly I'm glad we have something to metaphorically (and with the second amendment literally) beat the government over the head with.
 
The first amendment is first for a reason--to get it out in the open at the top of the list. Without it on the Bill of Rights, I doubt the Bill of Rights would have served as the compromise it did, and the Constitution might never have been ratified by enough states to become active. Simply put, the first amendment doesn't just set up a lot of what America means and stands for, it's also a lot of why the Constitutional framework we're built on got passed. Getting rid of it may butterfly away the entire United states--I don't know how much longer a united nation could have lasted on the Articles of Confederation, and pretty much any new thing passed to replace them would have had to have a full Bill of Rights of some sort, and that means something almost directly analagous to the first amendment must exist to have the US last as long as it has.

Of course, I may be recalling the facts entirely wrong. I do that sometimes.
 
White power... for one well MLK will likely be arrested for speaking against segregation and locked up for a while
Sixties and seventies riots will be hellish if they occur
I don't want to live in this america
 
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