40 Percent of Americans Unable to Name a Single First Amendment Right

[Anti Federalist]

Survey Shows Shocking Percentage of Americans Are Unable to Name a Single First Amendment Right

https://ijr.com/2018/08/1114019-percentage-americans-first-amendment/

CARLIN BECKER | AUG 4, 2018 | 12:51 PM

According to the Freedom Forum Institute's annual “State of the First Amendment” (SOFA) survey, it looks like a shocking number of Americans are unfamiliar with their First Amendment rights.

Of the more than 1,000 people surveyed in May and June of this year, only one person was able to name all five First Amendment rights. A whopping 40 percent, however, couldn't name any.

https://cdn1.ijr.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/c008c2d8-f693-40fd-84f9-198b4ae681cf.jpeg

Among those who could name one or a few, the right to freedom of speech was the most commonly remembered, with 56 percent of respondents being able to list it.

The other rights didn't fare so well, however, with just 15 percent of respondents naming freedom of religion, 13 percent naming freedom of the press, 12 percent naming freedom of peaceful assembly, and a measly 2 percent naming the freedom to petition the government.

https://cdn1.ijr.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/a1bc1a55-0735-4b5b-98e7-a66c7024e150.jpeg

Among some incorrect answers were the right to bear arms — guaranteed by the Second Amendment — and the right to vote.

On the bright side, the percentage of Americans unable to name a single First Amendment right hasn't increased since the 2016 survey. However, the percentage was lower in 2014 and 2015, when it sat at 29 percent and 33 percent, respectively.

The survey comes amid a national debate regarding whether or not free speech includes hate speech. The ACLU, for example, claimed free speech sometimes “can inflict serious harms and ... often will impede progress toward equality” in a leaked memo.

It also comes as President Donald Trump continues to slam the media as the “enemy of the people” and after his administration barred a reporter from an open-press event for asking a question about Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who recorded several of their meetings.

[Ender]

LOL- I was called a Muslim, on this forum, for upholding the 1st Amendment when there was Trump talk of having a data base for all American Muslims.

That's a very slippery slope that would soon include many religions.

The 1st Amendment is exceedingly important and continually trampled on- we need to protect all aspects of it.

[timosman]

LOL- I was called a Muslim, on this forum, for upholding the 1st Amendment when there was Trump talk of having a data base for all American Muslims.

Link?

[CaptUSA]

It also comes as President Donald Trump continues to slam the media as the “enemy of the people”

Right? If they were not the enemy of the people, perhaps people would know which rights are guaranteed not to be infringed by government!


after his administration barred a reporter from an open-press event for asking a question about Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who recorded several of their meetings.

oh. It was for a BS petty personal squabble. :rolleyes: I guess it gets added to the list of times when Trump gets something right in the wrong way.

[jllundqu]

THere are 5 rights protected by the 1st Amendment... only nerds like us can name them and why they are important. Even the people who could name a few of them think they are 'granted by the 1st amendment' instead of explicitly recognized and protected FROM government.

[Brian4Liberty]

Who remembers anything anymore? Just ask Siri or Alexa, the keepers of all truth.

[Anti Federalist]

LOL- I was called a Muslim, on this forum, for upholding the 1st Amendment when there was Trump talk of having a data base for all American Muslims.

That's a very slippery slope that would soon include many religions.

The 1st Amendment is exceedingly important and continually trampled on- we need to protect all aspects of it.

Indeed...the entire bill of rights is really a dead letter anymore.

The 1st and 2nd are hanging on by threads, the 3rd the state hasn't looked at yet, but I would not be surprised if we would be required to quarter and feed SWAT troops before long.

The rest are figments of the imagination anymore.

[Krugminator2]

Without looking right after I read the title of the thread, I got speech, religion, and the press and thought that was it. I completely missed " the right to peaceably assemble (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_assembly), or to petition for a governmental redress of grievances (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_petition) .

I'll bet if people here are honest, I am not the only one who missed key parts without looking it up.

[oyarde]

Without looking right after I read the title of the thread, I got speech, religion, and the press and thought that was it. I completely missed " the right to peaceably assemble (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_assembly), or to petition for a governmental redress of grievances (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_petition) .

I'll bet if people here are honest, I am not the only one who missed key parts without looking it up.

Let me know how you do with your redress of grievances .

[Anti Federalist]

Without looking right after I read the title of the thread, I got speech, religion, and the press and thought that was it. I completely missed " the right to peaceably assemble (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_assembly), or to petition for a governmental redress of grievances (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_petition) .

I'll bet if people here are honest, I am not the only one who missed key parts without looking it up.

I got all five.

But yeah, I could see missing one or two without referencing something.

But not a single one?

Nahhh....

[phill4paul]

I got all five.

But yeah, I could see missing one or two without referencing something.

But not a single one?

Nahhh....

They are too busy teaching far important matters.....http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?525072-Illinois-Lawmakers-Seek-To-Engulf-K-12-Students-in-%93LGBT-History%94

[Anti Globalist]

Who remembers anything anymore? Just ask Siri or Alexa, the keepers of all truth.
I wonder what Siri and Alexa would say if you asked them if taxation is theft.

[HVACTech]

THere are 5 rights protected by the 1st Amendment... only nerds like us can name them and why they are important. Even the people who could name a few of them think they are 'granted by the 1st amendment' instead of explicitly recognized and protected FROM government.

you are correct sir. most people today believe that their "rights" come from the "bill of rights"
if you point this fact out to AF, he will go full anarchist on you in a heartbeat. :)

[RJB]

Among some incorrect answers were the right to bear arms — guaranteed by the Second Amendment — and the right to vote.

They must have interviewed the Texan, who (I assume) would argue that voting is free speech

[TheTexan]

They must have interviewed the Texan, who (I assume) would argue that voting is free speech

Damn right.

+rep

[DamianTV]

"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add "within the limits of the law", because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual."

-Thomas Jefferson

Rights do not come from either the Bill of Rights or Govt. Rights exist because we exist. The only thing the Bill of Rights does is enumerates those rights.

The reason that those Rights were enumerated is because the common man will have a clear definition of what Rights truly are unless specifically listed. Hence, "Miranda Rights". By ensuring that people are ignorant enough that they do not know what Rights they have, they will be much less inclined to complain when those rights are violated. Freedom of Press being one of those that is pretty damn important.


"Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations."

- George Orwell

By making sure people are unaware of Freedom of Press, censorship will start with those who are unable to defend themselves, extend to those who speak in opposition, and end with the ultimate Censorship of the Constitution. Being unaware of the 2nd Amendment also will cause people to believe their only moral choice is to obey, when we recognize that is a moral imperative and a responsibility to resist oppression.

[kpitcher]

Without looking right after I read the title of the thread, I got speech, religion, and the press and thought that was it. I completely missed " the right to peaceably assemble (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_assembly), or to petition for a governmental redress of grievances (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_petition) .

I'll bet if people here are honest, I am not the only one who missed key parts without looking it up.

I did the same, saw the title and ran through my head what I thought was the 1st. Missed petition. I wonder how the question was asked, if it was "Can you name any of the 5 rights of the 1st amendment" that would be helpful.