What the 1st Amendment does – WND.com
Ronald Reagan
On MARCH 15, 1941, Franklin Roosevelt warned at the dinner of White House correspondents: Modern tyrants find it necessary to eliminate all democracies. A few weeks ago I spoke of freedom of speech and expression, freedom of every person to worship God in his own way. If we fail if democracy is superseded by slavery then those freedoms, or even the mention of them, will become forbidden things. Centuries will pass before they can be revived. When dictatorships disintegrate and pray God that will be sooner then our country must continue to play its great part. May it be said of us in the days to come that our children and our childrens children rise up and call us blessed.
The Senate voted down letting children voluntarily pray in public schools on March 15, 1984.
President Reagan said: I am deeply disappointed that, although a majority of the Senate voted for it, the school prayer amendment fell short.
On Sept. 25, 1982, Ronald Reagan said: Unfortunately, in the last two decades weve experienced an onslaught of such twisted logic that if Alice were visiting America, she might think shed never left Wonderland. Were told that it somehow violates the rights of others to permit students in school who desire to pray to do so. Clearly this infringes on the freedom of those who choose to pray, the freedom taken for granted since the time of our Founding Fathers.
Reagan continued: To prevent those who believe in God from expressing their faith is an outrage. The relentless drive to eliminate God from our schools should be stopped.
Ronald Reagan said Feb. 25, 1984: Sometimes I cant help but feel the First Amendment is being turned on its head.
Ronald Reagan stated in a Q & A session, Oct. 13, 1983: The First Amendment has been twisted to the point that freedom of religion is in danger of becoming freedom from religion.
Reagan told the Alabama Legislature, March 15, 1982: To those who cite the First Amendment as reason for excluding God from more and more of our institutions and everyday life, may I just say: The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny.
Discover more of Bill Federers eye-opening books and videos in the WND Superstore!
Ronald Reagan stated in a radio address, 1982: The Constitution was never meant to prevent people from praying; its declared purpose was to protect their freedom to pray.
Ronald Reagan stated in a radio address, Feb. 25, 1984: Former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart noted if religious exercises are held to be impermissible activity in schools, religion is placed at an artificial and state-created disadvantage. Permission for such exercises for those who want them is necessary if the schools are truly to be neutral in the matter of religion. And a refusal to permit them is seen not as the realization of state neutrality, but rather as the establishment of a religion of secularism.
Ronald Reagan told the Annual Convention of the National Religious Broadcasters, Jan. 30, 1984: I was pleased last year to proclaim 1983 the Year of the Bible. But, you know, a group called the ACLU severely criticized me for doing that. Well, I wear their indictment like a badge of honor.
Ronald Reagan worded it differently on the National Day of Prayer, May 6, 1982: Well-meaning Americans in the name of freedom have taken freedom away. For the sake of religious tolerance, theyve forbidden religious practice.
Ronald Reagan stated at an Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast, Aug. 23, 1984: The frustrating thing is that those who are attacking religion claim they are doing it in the name of tolerance and freedom and open-mindedness. Question: Isnt the real truth that they are intolerant of religion?
Brought to you by AmericanMinute.com.
Discover more of Bill Federers eye-opening books and videos in the WND Superstore!
Read more from the original source:
What the 1st Amendment does - WND.com
- Perspective: When First Amendment rights collide with immigration enforcement - Deseret News - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Walking Brain Injury: Conservatives Mock Don Lemon for Claiming First Amendment Right to Storm Church - Mediaite - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Using First Amendment rights responsibly... - Columbia Basin Herald - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- ICE clashes with the First Amendment | Strictly Legal - Cincinnati Enquirer - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Ex-NAACP Leader Jim Vincent to Headline Inaugural Bankole Thompson First Amendment Lecture - FrontPageAfrica - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Sarasota mayor accused of violating First Amendment by cutting off speakers - yoursun.com - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- VICTORY: Jury finds Tennessee high school students suspension for sharing memes violated the First Amendment - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights... - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Opinion | The Post and the First Amendment - The Washington Post - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- So Much for Free Speech. A Year of Trumps Attacks on the First Amendment - Zeteo | Substack - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Houlahan and Bicameral Group Of Democrats Introduce Bill To Protect First Amendment Rights, Safeguard Americans From Politically Motivated Harassment... - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Sarasota mayor accused of violating First Amendment by cutting off speakers - Suncoast Searchlight - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- ACLU and City of Rose Bud reach settlement protecting First Amendment right to petition - thv11.com - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- First Amendment cases are rising. FSU Law is rising to the occasion - FSView & Florida Flambeau - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Press Freedom Advocates Worry That Raid on Washington Post Journalists Home Will Chill Reporting - First Amendment Watch - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Guest Column First Amendment and what it means to teen-agers - Pierce County Journal - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Democrats Say Trump Administration Is Investigating Them Over Video Message to Troops - First Amendment Watch - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Coshocton Schools accused of violating First Amendment after teacher leads prayer - NBC4 WCMH-TV - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- His SC hometown blocked him on Facebook after critical comment. He filed a First Amendment lawsuit. - Post and Courier - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Letters: Americans should not face death for exercising their First Amendment rights - Reporter-Herald - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Federal judge rules Creston teacher's first amendment rights were violated - KMAland.com - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Press Release: Murphy and Crow Introduce Bill to Safeguard First Amendment Rights and Combat Politically Motivated Harassment - Quiver Quantitative - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- New Yorks Anti-SLAPP Act: An Unnecessary Chill on the First Amendment Right to Petition - Law.com - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Minnesota and the Twin Cities Sue the Federal Government To Stop the Immigration Crackdown - First Amendment Watch - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Man Convicted for Carrying Pelosis Podium During US Capitol Riot Seeks Florida County Office - First Amendment Watch - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- 'At issue is the public right of access': First Amendment group savages Mar-a-Lago judge for 'incorrect' ruling over Jack Smith report, urges appeals... - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- NYS AG: "Most extensive" First Amendment reforms ever approved in Saratoga Springs - WRGB - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Opinion | Jack Smith would have blown a hole in the First Amendment - The Washington Post - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Court rules University of Washington violated professors First Amendment rights - Campus Reform - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Law's Jonathan Entin and Eric Chaffee on first amendment rights and social media access for children - Case Western Reserve University - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Guest Column First Amendment and what it means to teen-agers - Milwaukee Community Journal - - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Voting rights, First Amendment issues expected to be battles in Pierre - SDPB - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Teachers First Amendment rights - theacorn.com - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- OPINION: The First Amendment and peacefully protesting - Big Rapids Pioneer - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Appeals court reviews excluded texts and alleged First Amendment claim in Tucker medicalmalpractice appeal - Citizen Portal AI - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Sen. Mark Kelly vows to fight for First Amendment amid Pentagon threats - USA Today - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Musk's X is joining a First Amendment fight over trans bathroom photo - USA Today - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Filming ICE agents is a First Amendment right. So why might it land you in jail? - Straight Arrow News - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Liberties Year in Review: First Amendment victories - wng.org - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Trump Administration Will Appeal Judges Order Reversing Federal Funding Cuts at Harvard - First Amendment Watch - December 25th, 2025 [December 25th, 2025]
- Housing, tourism and the First Amendment: Nevada editors reflect on the news year that was 2025 - KNPR - December 25th, 2025 [December 25th, 2025]
- FCC fights First Amendment and democracy itself - mronline.org - December 25th, 2025 [December 25th, 2025]
- First Amendment Stories of 2025: A Year in Review - Freedom Forum - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Trump tests the First Amendment: A timeline - CNN - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Professor Sanctioned by University for a Satirical Land Acknowledgment Wins First Amendment Case on Appeal - The New York Sun - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Trump Sues the BBC: First Amendment Analysis - Freedom Forum - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Madisons Lost First Amendment: The Mission Statement that Never Was - Jurist.org - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Let them sue: Iowa lawmakers scoffed at First Amendment in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting, records show - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and... - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Pastor alleges Tarrant County judge violated First Amendment by removing him from meeting - Fort Worth Report - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Yes, the First Amendment Applies to Non-Citizens Present in the United States - Reason Magazine - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Gingrich: Going After People Who Have Been Radicalized Requires Rethinking Parts Of The First Amendment - Real Clear Politics - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- [VIDEO] Jane Fonda Revives the Committee for the First Amendment - ACLU of Southern California - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Does The First Amendment Protect Supposedly Addictive Algorithms? - Hoover Institution - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Stop the gatekeeping. The First Amendment is for all of us - Freedom of the Press Foundation - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Why 'online speech is messy' when it comes to the First Amendment - WUSF - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Puerto Rico Governor Signs Bill That Critics Say Will Restrict Access to Public Information - First Amendment Watch - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- How a Gossip Blogger Became the Poster Child for First Amendment Rights | On the Media - WNYC Studios | Podcasts - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- JD Vance floats First Amendment 'exception' to ban '6-7' - Fox News - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Free speech advocates rally to support FIREs defense of First Amendment protections for drag shows - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and... - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Law's Andrew Geronimo discusses political websites and the first amendment - Case Western Reserve University - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Texas runs afoul of the First Amendment with new limits on faculty course materials - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- First Amendment expert weighs in on new University of Florida neutrality policy - WCJB - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Public libraries in TX, LA, and MS are no longer protected by the First Amendment. - Literary Hub - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Congressman Murphy introduces bills to fortify First Amendment rights on college campuses - WCTI - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Oregon lawsuit accuses Trump admin of chilling First Amendment rights during ICE protests - KOIN.com - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- The Man Accused of Killing Charlie Kirk Appears in Court for 1st Time as a Judge Weighs Media Access - First Amendment Watch - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- ICEBlock App Maker Sues Trump Administration Over Its Pressure on Apple To Remove App - First Amendment Watch - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Federal judge to hear arguments on motion in professor's First Amendment lawsuit against UT - WBIR - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Inside the First Amendment fight over how Los Angeles polices words - USA Today - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- Brands, bands, trademarks and the First Amendment - The Global Legal Post - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- First Amendment in flux: When free-speech protections came up against the Red Scare - Free Speech Center - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- The Pentagon and the FBI are investigating 6 legislators for exercising their First Amendment rights - Reason Magazine - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- Corporations Say Its Their First Amendment Right To Hide - The Lever - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- Campus Crackdown on the First Amendment - Folio Weekly - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- Lange: Annoying emails are not exempt from the First Amendment - WyomingNews.com - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- From burgers to the First Amendment: Cozy Inn wins mural lawsuit - KAKE - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]
- Salina violated First Amendment rights of Cozy Inn on mural issue - The Hutchinson News - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]
- After Bobby George Threatened to Sue Online Critics, CWRU's First Amendment Clinic Stepped In - Cleveland Scene - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]
- First Amendment in flux: When free speech protections came up against the Red Scare - The Conversation - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]
- First Amendment litigator explains the dos and donts of student protest - The Dartmouth - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]
- We should protect the First Amendment like we do the Second - Indiana Capital Chronicle - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]