PINION&COMMENT The Meadville Tribune - 10/10/2019
ridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” — From the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
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First Amendment binds all American freedoms
Freedom of the press, Shielded by truth, of speech, of religion, of journalists for nearly JACK assembly and to petition three centuries have VENTIMIGLIA been free to jab the government are woven, like stars in the their pens at those flag, into the fabric of who threaten the Street Journal the First Amendment. First Amendment. There are myriad ht a 5 percent The blood of patriots is the seed of the examples involving religion alone. They the economy Republic. The founders and those who include news reports about Congress g. How long followed in their footsteps invested their trying to disenfranchise Mormons in my still grow- lives in this country. They assured there the late 1880s and extend to modern slowing, as is would be freedom of religion, and from times and the painful recognition that religion, so the government could neither even vile speech, such as that practiced loom econo- bless nor ban what anyone believes, by Westboro Baptist Church, must be e confidently as occurs under radical theocracies permitted as a religious liberty. and communist regimes. The founders Journalists help keep us free to ccuracy guar- secured freedom of speech, to assemble question, learn and disagree. next serious and to petition the government to redress Now, as in the beginning, freedom on is when it grievances, which is denied by China, of the press abides in the courage us. North Korea, Saudi Arabia and others of men and women who report the a record high that fear opposition. They also created news, whether those reports arise from r return to the one freedom that binds and protects all between white columns in Washington, give the Rust others, and has done so from before the D.C., or beside the fountain at Lions (c)2019 The Meadville Tribune, Edition 10/10/2019 kname. Copyright October 10, 2019 12:35 (GMT +4:00) founding of thepmrepublic — freedom of Lake in Washington, Missouri. A go Tribune the press. reporter’s work is often more routine
War II; he is one of many reporters who died to bring the public truth about war. Last year, in Annapolis, Maryland, a man who rejected having his criminal record reported walked into The Capital Gazette and killed five employees. Routine days are not guaranteed. Seasoned reporters understand the importance of safeguarding the First Amendment. They know, also, that though telling the truth is made more difficult in these topsy-turvy times — when truth is flippantly called “lies” and lies are defended as truth — if they do not do their duty, then no one will. From time to time, explosions of criticism and unfettered hate may around them rage, but because reporters are loyal to the duties of a free press, including to challenge government leaders and policies, each of the First Amendment freedoms continues to wave like stripes in a flag emerging in Powered by TECNAVIA the dawn’s early light.