The Bill of Rights Document Grants Personal Freedoms.

The Bill of Rights document is made up of ten separate amendments, dealing with issues ranging from free speech and unjust searches, to religious liberty and cruel and unusual punishment.

It is impossible to understand civil liberties in the United States without understanding the Bill of Rights.

The Bill of Rights was designed to prevent the government from assuming total power over citizens and to provide citizens with legal defenses.

The First Amendment is perhaps the most often quoted constitutional amendment and remains one of the most important because it insures freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the right to public assembly.

The same amendment also protects the rights of others by limiting free expression that is slander or false.

The Second Amendment, which is often debated today, grants Americans the right to keep and bear arms (weapons).

The actual wording of this amendment states that, because a well-regulated militia is necessary to national security, citizens have the right to keep and bear arms.

Amendment Three deals with the quartering of troops in private homes, which cannot take place without the consent of the owner.

Although no longer an issue, at the time the Bill of Rights document was ratified, the quartering of troops in private homes had been a major topic during the American Revolution, when many troops were housed in the homes of citizens, often citizens that were not loyal to the same cause.

The Fourth Amendment remains very important because this amendment prevents the government or any legal authority from entering homes to search without cause, and from taking items without valid reason or legal permission.

Which amendment from the Bill of Rights document is most known?

The Fifth Amendment: ”I’ll take the Fifth” is often used in popular media (movies, television programs, and books) to indicate that someone refuses to provide information that could incriminate them.

It also guarantees a fair trial by jury and provides for respect of private property. Amendment Six provides civil rights to anyone accused of a crime.

Provisions include the right to a speedy, public trial, an impartial jury of peers, to have full knowledge of accusations and charges made, and to have legal counsel provided to all.

This amendment also prevents any individual from being tried more than once for the same offense.

Amendment Seven provides for common law, meaning in any legal suit involving goods, property, or values above twenty dollars, citizens are granted the same rights to a fair trial and jury as those facing criminal charges.

Amendment Eight prohibits and regulates the amounts of bail and fines allowable by law, as well as protects the rights of prisoners.

Amendments Nine and Ten both refer to the unlisted rights of common citizens, as well as reserve specific rights to each individual state.

These amendments allow states to be self-governing and to make their own laws for the citizens of the states.

The Bill of Rights Document

What Would Life be Like Without Them?

Can you imagine what life would be like for American citizens without the Bill of Rights.

The government loves to control our lives but most of us want to control our own lives and do what we want to do. Without the Bill of Rights the government would be able to take power.

The Nanny State

Some people would love it. The current thinking for some parts of the poulation is for the government to be the ”nanny state.”

These citizens want nationalized health care, the government to pay for college, to pay for their housing etc., whatever the government can provide if there were no reins. No kidding!

Others of us want to make our way, support ourselves, keep the government out of our lives. This is where the Bill of Rights comes in handy.

The Bill of Rights document must be preserved in order to maintain the freedoms enjoyed by Americans. Such civil liberties are what make the United States different than many other nations where tyranny reigns and individual rights do not exist.

In order to remain a true democracy, a government of, for, and by the people, it is vital that the Bill of Rights continues to provide citizens fair treatment, equal opportunities, and the freedoms protected by our Constitution.