The First Amendment
“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.”
The First Amendment to the Constitution provides American citizens with five freedoms that are the hallmark of American liberty. It simply and unequivocally protects religious liberty for people of all faiths, freedom of speech by individuals and the press, freedom to meet and assemble, and the right of the people to petition their government.
Protecting all aspect of these liberties, and the Constitutional itself, is the primary mission of American Constitutional Rights Union.
Each Constitutional freedom is under attack by the American left’s activist class and their partners in media, “Big Tech,” and government. It is incumbent on every liberty-loving patriot to first understand the fundamentals of these rights and how they are being perverted and ignored in light of the latest wave of unconstitutional laws and actions by oppressive liberals seeking to create for themselves a permanent progressive power base.
The United States Constitution is the mechanism whereby “We the People” hold government accountable and prevent it from limiting our individual and economic liberty. The Founding Fathers created a system of law for the American people and their government to follow regardless of changes in societal structure, culture and the economy.
The Founders drew from many influences, including the works of English jurist William Blackstone and his presentation of the moral law and religious values and their importance to governance and legal systems. Not only is the Constitution anchored in the rule of law, but moral order also lives boldly within its wording.
The Constitution stands firm in its protections, and must never be abrogated and used as the handmaiden of any political agenda. Today, the Constitution faces new 21st century threats — unconstitutional laws are written to diminish the integrity of citizen votes and the role of states to set voting procedures, and social media’s Big Tech giants are colluding with some officials to censor anyone who does not agree with their leftist agenda.
Through educational projects and quantifiable advocacy plans, ACRU will always stand firm to ensure Constitutional liberty is preserved for generations to come.
Support the ACRU’s work on the First Amendment by donating today.
ACRU Action
Jan LaRue: Obama's Sights on Second Amendment
This op-ed originally appeared on American Thinker on March 27, 2009.While campaigning for the U.S. Senate and then the presidency, Barack Obama said he believed in the individual right to bear arms. Those aware of [...]
Congressman Pence Signs "Freedom to Listen" Pledge
Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) became an inaugural signer of the American Civil Rights Union's "Freedom to Listen" pledge on Monday, vowing to protect the First Amendment by standing against "any and all efforts to censor or in any way restrict the people's freedom to listen to the unfettered airing of political views of their choice on broadcast media or the Internet." The pledge is designed to unify support against efforts to restrict Americans' constitutional freedom to listen.
Jan LaRue: The Heckler in Chief and Venezuela's Media Mauler
What do President Barack Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have in common? Besides their socialist economic policies, they don't abide media critics well. The Obama White House has Rush Limbaugh, king of talk radio, in its crosshairs. When a president of the United States targets one media personality for criticism, those who live and breathe by the First Amendment should be aware they're on life-support. The executive branch can pull their plug via the FCC, which decides who gets or keeps a broadcast license.
Ken Klukowski: God Save America from Militant Atheists
On Feb. 23, a federal court will consider the latest attempt to secularize America, led by militant atheist lawyer Michael Newdow. His lawsuit, Newdow v. Roberts, seeks to purge all references to God from presidential inaugurations.
Jan LaRue: Pornography Advocate at DOJ?
This column originally appeared on Townhall.com on February 9, 2009.It's been a taxing two weeks for President Obama and his nominees. And there's another nominee with bigger disqualifiers than unpaid taxes.Imagine. A veteran pornography defense [...]
Peter Ferrara: The Constitutional Right to Listen
We usually think of freedom of speech as involving the right of speakers to speak, whether through public addresses, in writing, or over radio and television airwaves. But the courts have recognized an additional dimension to First Amendment free speech rights: the right to listen and watch. This right takes center stage in a current challenge to the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law and could play a role in the debate about the Fairness Doctrine.