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Essay On The First Amendment

956 Words4 Pages

The first amendment of the United States Constitution is a crucial topic that guarantees fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and association. The first amendment protects the freedom of association, which emcompasses an individual’s right to join and leave groups as they please, and for the group to take collective action to pursue the common interest of the individuals in the group. The history of the freedom of association can be traced back to the founding of the United States, where the right of association was seen as a necessary component of democracy. The freedom of association can be explored into its history, the basis of the topic, and the interpretation of the courts, especially in cases; Gitlow v. New York, NAACP …show more content…

Dale (2000). In this case, the court ruled that private organizations such as the Boy Scouts had the right to expel members who did not share their values and beliefs. It argued that it included the right to associate with those who share ideas.
Another landmark example of the importance of freedom of association is NAACP v. Patterson (1958). In this case, the Supreme Court recognized that the NAACP has the right to protect the privacy of its member list to prevent harassment and intimidation. The court has found that the right to associate is "an integral aspect of the right to freedom of expression" (Monk 89).
Finally, Gitlow v. New York (1925), a frequently debated case in the jurisprudence of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, argued that the right to organize as an interest of liberty protected under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution admitted. The Supreme Court has ruled that the right to organize is a fundamental right essential to the protection of individual …show more content…

Justice Edward T. Sanford, writing for the majority, said Guitreau's speech presented a clear and present danger to the government, and that the states had the power to suppress it. However, the Supreme Court also ruled that the 14th Amendment extended the scope of the First Amendment to the states. This means that states must respect free speech and other First Amendment rights. In summary, Gitlow v. New York was a significant case that upheld the applicability of First Amendment warranties to states. The case also established a unique, current danger test that is still used to this day to determine whether a language could be restricted for potential harm (Gitlow)
An important Supreme Court case from 1958 regarding the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which safeguards freedom of association, was NAACP v. Alabama. The dispute began when Alabama attempted to compel the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to reveal its membership list. The state asserted that disclosure was required in order to implement rules governing charities.

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