establishment

Right? Wrong? Truth!
The First Amendment applies to everyone. Sometimes people use the First Amendment to
express their opinions and beliefs in order to inform people or to make known a need for
change. Many experts agree that this is how the Framers of the Constitution meant for the
First Amendment to be used. Some people, however, use the First Amendment to justify
inappropriate or illegal actions.
The First Amendment is, indeed, a shield that can be used for good or for bad. Personal
beliefs, values, and moral awareness guide an individual to good or bad, right or wrong
decisions. First Amendment freedoms can be misused, either accidentally or on purpose.
The Constitution does not protect those who would use the First Amendment for purposes
that go against accepted ethics.
What Are “Ethics”?
Ethics is the process we use for deciding what is good or bad, right or wrong. Ethics helps us
balance our rights with our responsibilities. Ethics causes us to think beyond our self interests
in favor of doing what is best for those around us. The term ethics comes from the Greek word
“ethos,” which means character. An ethical person is a person of good character who always
tries to make “right” choices.
Laws are determined and enforced by our society. Laws tell us what we can do. Ethics goes
beyond the law. Ethics is that “voice inside our heads” that tells us what we should do.
So What’s the Right Thing To Do?
What is legal may not be what is ethical. In other words, just because you can do something
doesn’t mean that it’s okay to go ahead and do it. For example, imagine that something
embarrassing happened to a friend of yours on the way to school. You and your friend might
have laughed about it at the time. Is it okay to tell the story to everyone you know? How would
that person feel if it ended up in the school newspaper? Would it make a difference if people
started hanging out with you more, but not with your friend? How would you feel if that same
thing had happened to you instead and your friend was telling the story?
The Choice Is Yours
In a free society, citizens have choices. There will always be those who choose to ignore ethics
and act in selfish or thoughtless ways. Within our laws, people are permitted to abuse their own
freedoms. We cannot make laws forcing people to be unselfish, or insisting that they believe or
act in a certain way all the time. We cannot pass a law that citizens must always make “good” or
“right” decisions. Making laws that limit the ways that people choose to think or act goes against
the spirit of the First Amendment, which is to protect the truth.
When In Doubt, Tell the Truth… Carefully!
The best way to promote ethics and fight abuse of the First Amendment is through learning.
The more we learn about the First Amendment, the more we appreciate its beauty and its
strength. By considering ethics, the law, and the world around us, we can learn how to apply
the First Amendment in ways that will make our society and out country stronger. It is important
to consider the views and feelings of others before we exercise our rights. Otherwise, our
actions could have unintended or unpleasant consequences.
The shield of the First Amendment is meant to protect the rights and welfare of all citizens.
We must use it with conscious awareness of ethical implications, else that shield may become
weakened and corroded.