About 47% of those polled in the First Amendment
Center survey said freedom of speech is the most important right, almost five
times the number citing second-choice freedom of religion, named by 10%.
Next came freedom of choice (7%), the right to bear
arms (5%), the right to vote (5%) the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness (3%) and freedom of the press (1%).
The result may not be all that surprising; after
all, freedom of speech is the best known of our First Amendment rights.
But it’s also a reassuring affirmation of how
important speaking your mind is in a democracy.
This was the 17th annual survey on First Amendment
rights, but the first time we’ve asked broadly about all rights.
Some would clearly differ on America’s paramount
freedom.
At a time when limits on gun ownership are being
widely debated, many would argue that being armed is the single most important
defense against potential government tyranny.
Calling the right to bear arms “America’s first
freedom,” National Rifle Association spokesman Charlton Heston famously said,
“There can be no free speech, no freedom of the press, no freedom to protest,
no freedom to worship your god, no freedom to speak your mind, no freedom from
fear, no freedom for your children and theirs, for anybody, anywhere without
the Second Amendment right to fight for it.”
Others point to the right to vote as the most
important liberty, and it is certainly the lifeblood of a democracy. Still, in
our last presidential election, just 58% of voting-age Americans cast a ballot.
Others would see our Fourth Amendment right against
unreasonable search and seizure – and by extension, our right to privacy – as
most critical.
The rights to a fair trial and protection against
self-incrimination didn’t show up in the top results of our survey, probably
because most Americans see themselves as law-abiding. But there’s no
underestimating how those checks on government power help ensure justice for
all.
Members of the news media may take comfort in the
fact that 1% of Americans say freedom of the press is the single most important
freedom. You can argue that the watchdog role of a free press is critical to
keeping government in check and our rights intact.
I came across a textbook from 1961 not long ago that
devotes considerable space to a lesser-known liberty: the freedom of
enterprise. That’s essentially the right to make a buck. It doesn’t get much
more American than that.
My own sense is that the plurality of those polled
in the survey got it right. I respect the right to bear arms, the right of
privacy and the guarantee of due process, but I also believe that the very best
check against government misconduct is the right of all Americans to raise
their voices, demanding accountability by those in power and insisting on liberty
and justice.
Still, it’s important to recognize that our core
freedoms, regardless of their relative popularity, complement and reinforce one
another. Unless we daily reaffirm our right to America’s core liberties and
speak out against government encroachment upon any of them, our collective
freedom is at risk. “United we stand” is not just a motto.
About the author: Ken Paulson is the president of
the First Amendment Center at the Newseum and dean of the College of Mass
Communication at Middle Tennessee State University.
This article was published by the First Amendment
Center.
No comments:
Post a Comment