which First Amendment freedom is most important

[jaysunb]

This question from a poll in the Meridian (Ms.) Star:

If you had to choose, which First Amendment freedom is most important to the well-being of the U.S.?
http://www.meridianstar.com/

It kinda makes you understand the consequences of dumbing down America, as well as the " my god is bigger than your god" syndrom.

BTW, I was born in this place, over 60 years ago and still vist. The people are usually very nice, but as you will see......:eyes:

[Scribe]

1. It is a non-scientific poll. Things may be much better back home

[tocqueville]

2. if results representative the US is really fucked up

If you had to choose, which First Amendment freedom is most important to the well-being of the U.S.?

Freedom of religion 54.65%
Freedom of speech 29.10%
Freedom of the press 3.93%
Right to peaceably assemble 1.97%
Right to petition the government 10.35%

763 votes counted

besides freedom of speech/press/assemble/petition is basically the same freedom : freedom of expression.

[Posteritatis]

3. On the other hand

If you consider "freedom of religion" to equal "freedom of conscience" to equal "freedom to think what you goddamned well please," I'd consider that paramount, myself.

There are (very limited) grounds to limit free speech (the fire-in-a-theatre cliche, or defamation), assembly (the regs on hassling people at abortion clinics), and even to a point the press (publishing real troop-compromising things in a real war wouldn't be kosher), but there is no useful reason to attempt to regulate what people may or may not think or believe inside their own heads. None. Nada. Zip.

That's utterly fundamental to the idea of a free society; the worst excesses of tyrannies often haven't been against people who criticized the government, or who demonstrated against it, or (sometimes) who even rebelled by force - they've been against people who committed the "crime" of merely being of the wrong religion, political ideology, and so on. You regulate thought, all the other rights become illusory at best.

[beyurslf]

4. To me, the freedom of speech is the groundwork for all of the other

freedoms listed. If we can't speak what we want, then how can we truly have any of the other freedoms?

[jaysunb]

5. I agree...

n/t