August 14-20, 2003

loose canon

First Amendment Checkup

by Bruce Schimmel

Is it bad news or good that more than a third of Americans would agree that the First Amendment "goes too far in the rights it guarantees"?

If you feel strongly about separating church and state, practicing religion, expressing opinions or criticizing the government, it's probably bad news.

But to the First Amendment Center, a study center funded by the Freedom Forum, it's just the opposite. Why? Because the 34 percent of Americans who say we have too many freedoms is not as many as last year, when nearly half of those surveyed said First Amendment rights should be curbed.

The center has been taking the temperature of the body politic since 1997. And, after 9/11, our fever rose sharply. In 2000, a mere 22 percent said the First Amendment went too far. That figure shot up to 39 percent the following year.

For many, this year's drop is a relief but the numbers aren't entirely unexpected, given the relative peace at home, a weariness with war abroad and an increasing wariness of statements coming from the White House.

Most people know, in their gut, that if speech is muzzled, officials' lies will never be unmasked.

But, in a disturbing survey result, many Americans don't even know all that the First Amendment is about. When asked to name specific rights it guarantees, some 63 percent named freedom of speech but from there, the numbers dropped sharply.

Twenty-two percent of those surveyed mentioned religion, while 16 percent listed freedom of the press. Eleven percent got the right to assembly, while just 2 percent listed the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.

The scariest number of all? Thirty-seven percent of Americans did not -- or could not -- name a single right. Not one.

That figure becomes all the more startling when considering how much the First Amendment pervades our lives. Here are number of issues, now under review, about our right to:

• Wear political symbols, avoid pledging allegiance "under God" or speak out about sexuality in school

• Burn the American flag or display the Confederate flag

• Borrow books without government surveillance or surf any part of the web in public libraries

• Question Tom Ridge about "anti-terrorism" activities and look at presidential records about what's known to be true -- and what's known to be a lie

That's just a taste. For more, check out Charles Levendosky on the First Amendment Cyber-Tribune's website: w3trib.com/FACT/ or fact.trib.com.