Second to None

by David Ritter, Immaculate High School
Honorable Mention in the 2007 Center for First Amendment Rights
2007 High School First Amendment Contest

The First Amendment is far more than just a sentence on a piece of paper; it is the guarantee of essential human rights to the people of a nation, and the anthem of those who yearn for freedom around the world. It is a self-evident truth that the rights of the First Amendment have been endowed to all humanity, and are the ideals that all oppressed peoples set as their highest goals of civic life. It is the common hope of all people to practice their religion without intimidation or punishment, to express their thoughts freely, to be informed concerning the events of the world with impartiality and accuracy, to gather together for whatever peaceful reason they see fit, and to appeal to the government for just change. For centuries, people who have hoped for the First Amendment rights have suffered innumerable hardships while fleeing their native countries, in order to, at last, take refuge in America.

My mother's family escaped the hardships of life in mid-twentieth century Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), but not before they had tasted the acrid nature of life without First Amendment rights. Freedom of religion existed in name only, as a token gesture to the West; there were spies in every church, who monitored and reported the activities of the church leaders. My own grandfather was banned from preaching publicly, even at his own father's funeral, and my grandfather's uncle was jailed for "Christian activities." When my mother was a child, her house was searched, and her family members were interrogated by the secret police who were searching for evidence of illegal religious activities. Freedom of speech did not exist; fear had been so impressed upon the people's hearts, that no one dared speak out. At times, typewriters and mimeograph machines were confiscated, so that people could not publish and distribute their own ideas. The press was so controlled by the government that it merely reported propaganda, not news, and if one tried to find an honest source of information by listening to foreign broadcasts, one was liable to arrest if caught. Any gathering of people had to be officially sponsored and monitored by the State. People who spoke against the government, asking for reform, were immediately jailed. Those who tried to escape the clutches of the oppressive communist regime, hoping to gain First Amendment rights, were often killed when crossing the border. A friend of my grandfather's family was electrocuted as he tried to scale the fence that lined the border; others had no more fortune than he, being either machine gunned or blown to pieces by the mines that lined the borders. My mother's family managed to escape by pretending to go on vacation; they took only their car, and a few inconspicuous possessions (plus a little bit of money hidden near the muffler), leaving behind their home, family, and friends. Thus, forty years ago, my mother's family escaped the iron clutches of totalitarian communism, in order to reach the free lands of America.

Because of the daring actions of my mother and her family, I now have the privilege of being protected by the First Amendment. My faith is not founded upon the dictates of a cruel regime, but upon the solemn convictions of my heart. When I express myself, I have no fear of retribution from the government. When I look at the news, I know that information I receive is as impartial as the people who deliver it. I also can be sure that, should I have a grievance with the government, I have the freedom to gather with my fellow citizens and petition the government for reform.

The rights protected in the First Amendment are the rights that families, like my mother's family, held more valuable than their savings, their heirlooms, and their friendships, as they fled the oppressive governments that claimed undue authority over them. Pilgrims and sojourners from Europe, to Asia, and beyond, have all held First Amendment rights so valuable, that they have risked life and limb to secure for themselves freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition of the government. So many have risked so much for the sake of these rights, do we appreciate them as much as they did?