Amendment I

Amendment I - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. 12/15/1791. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

For instance, you may not yell "FIRE" while watching a movie or play in a crowded theater unless there really is a fire. Government and the courts have built a history of First Amendment jurisprudence that runs contrary to its absolutist language. While "Congress shall make no law abridging speech," there are nevertheless exceptions made for speech that may be found harmful to overall society or individuals. Such instances include cases in the following areas:Defamation Libel Freedom of Information Indecency and obscene speech What is interesting about the First Amendment is that its jurisprudence is still developing, and is increasingly focused on new technologies like the Internet. Falsely hollering fire is just one of the many exceptions that may be placed upon the First Amendment to protect individual or societal welfare. "Congress shall make no law" has been impinged upon. Courts have found such occurrences to cause undue hysteria, potentially threatening the safety of others. Because the Internet is not a newspaper, television, or telephone, ambiguity exists as to how to treat it as a medium of discourse.