Fact check: What is our first amendment?

1. Summary of the results

The First Amendment, ratified on December 15, 1791, as part of the Bill of Rights ^[1], explicitly protects five fundamental freedoms:

• Freedom of religion (both establishment and free exercise)
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of the press
• Right to peaceful assembly
• Right to petition the government for redress of grievances ^[2]

The exact text reads: "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." ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial contextual elements are missing from a simple reading of the amendment:

1. Scope Evolution: While originally applying only to federal laws, the First Amendment's protections were later extended to state and local governments through Supreme Court decisions like Gitlow v. New York ^{[4] [1]} and the Fourteenth Amendment ^[5].

2. Interpretation Philosophies: There are different approaches to interpreting the First Amendment, including originalism and textualism ^[6], though the sources don't elaborate on how these different interpretations affect its application.

3. Breadth of Protection: The amendment covers a wide range of expression, including political, scientific, religious, and artistic expression ^[5].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question "What is our First Amendment?" might suggest a simple, straightforward answer, but it's important to note that:

1. Interpretation Complexity: While the text itself is fixed, its interpretation has evolved significantly over time through Supreme Court decisions and constitutional interpretation philosophies ^{[7] [6]}.

2. Modern Application: Understanding the First Amendment requires knowledge of both its original text AND how it has been interpreted and applied over the past two centuries ^[5].

3. Government Levels: Simply viewing it as a federal protection would be incomplete, as it now applies to all levels of government ^[5].