You Have (No) Right to Peaceably Assemble

7/24/11 • Free Patriot Press

"Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us." Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas The first amendment to the Constitution of these United States of America recognizes five rights (or freedoms) – those being the freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. An original draft of the first amendment read “nor shall the rights of conscience be infringed” and was to be two different amendments. Sadly, throughout the history of this nation, these rights have been infringed and violated. The Sedition Act (passed in 1798 as part of the Alien & Sedition Acts) made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" critical of Congress and/or of the President, but criticism of the Vice-President was not crime. The Sedition Act had an expiration date of March 3, 1801 (the day before A