The first article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified effective December 15, 1791.

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.

See also: Bill of Rights, Amendment II, Amendment III, Amendment IV, Amendment V, Amendment VI, Amendment VII, Amendment VIII, Amendment IX, Amendment X, Amendment XI, Amendment XII, Amendment XIII, Amendment XIV, Amendment XV, Amendment XVI, Amendment XVII, Amendment XVIII, Amendment XIX, Amendment XX, Amendment XXI, Amendment XXII, Amendment XXIII, Amendment XXIV, Amendment XXV, Amendment XXVI, Amendment XXVII

The First Amendment is what gives Americans a privilege most of the world's six billion people do not enjoy, free speech. While most of those deprived of this privilege would love to have it and cherish it, but some Americans, having lived with it their entire lives, feel it as a natural right and take it for granted.

Since they feel that they have a right not to be offended, they try to suppress this so-called "hate speech" and political incorrectness, in turn violating those peoples' First Amendment rights by placing their own sensitivities above the welfare of the people of the entire nation. In fact, some people claim that the First Amendment gives too much freedom. These people should spend a couple years in a country without this wonderful privilege. I have, and I learned there is no such thing as "too much freedom". However, "no freedom" is a painful reality for many people in the world.

Please, cherish the fact that you live in America, a free country (relatively). You should be really glad you did not have to live in 1940's Soviet Union or 1970's Cambodia.

"Congress shall make no law respecting the 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."

(In those days, run-on sentences were the norm.)

As with many of the amendments of the Bill of Rights, the First focuses upon rights which had been violated by the British Crown during the colonial period. The Founders were concerned about these rights because they did not want the new nation to become just as oppressive as the colonial regime had been.

Almost immediately after the adoption of the Constitution, however, Congress began to violate these rights, beginning with the Sedition Act of 1798.