Celebrate our First Amendment by understanding it
In this simmering season of division and distrust, there’s one thing that just about all of us agree on: We treasure the First Amendment.
Saturday was First Amendment Day, a day to celebrate the document that allows all Americans – without government interference – to practice a faith or not, speak freely, publish ideas, gather in support or protest, and petition the government for change. It marked the day in 1789 when Congress sent the amendments that became the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights to the states for approval.
To salute the occasion, the Freedom Forum — an organization devoted to fostering First Amendment freedoms for all — released a survey conducted in 2020, when we asked more than 3,000 Americans how they feel about the First Amendment today.
The big takeaway from the survey, titled “The First Amendment: Where America Stands”? Amid our disagreements on everything from politics to the pandemic, one value unites the vast majority of us: 94% of respondents — across generations and the political spectrum — view the First Amendment as “vital.”
But we don’t agree on much else about it:
h More than a third of Americans would give up free speech to get rid of hate speech, but an almost equal number support unfettered free speech.
h 69% say social media sites should be held responsible for allowing false or misleading information to be posted.
h People are equally divided (37% to 37%) over whether business owners should have to fulfill customer requests that violate their religious beliefs.
h Nearly 60% say the news media should act as watchdogs on the powerful, but only 14% trust journalists.
h 75% do not believe that government mandates due to COVID-19 infringe on the rights of assembly, speech and religion, but 1 in 4 people disagree.
h In a year when protests over racial injustice swept the nation, most people – 69% – have never participated in a protest, rally or march.
h 73% of people have signed a petition, but only 14% could name it as one of the five First Amendment freedoms.
The First Amendment connects us as Americans. It protects our right to express our deepest beliefs in word and action. Yet most Americans can’t name the five freedoms it guarantees — religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. In order to preserve and protect these fundamental rights for future generations, we all need to know, understand, value and defend these freedoms not just for ourselves, but also for each other. Even those with whom we disagree.
Celebrate the First Amendment by doing something to promote the diversity of experiences and perspectives that define our democracy. Share your deepest beliefs with someone. Reach across a political divide or your family’s dinner table and debate current events. Support your local news outlet. Join a new group on social media and explore perspectives that are different from yours.
And toast the fact that we all share these First Amendment freedoms, not just when we exercise them for ourselves, but when we defend the rights of others to do the same.
This piece first appeared on Usatoday.com. Jan Neuharth is chair and chief executive officer of the Freedom Forum. Twitter: @Janneuharth