First Amendment for Beginners

First Amendment for Beginners, Michael J Lamonica, For Beginners LLC, 2018

The forty-five words that make up the First Amendment to the US Constitution embody some of America's most basic rights. Among them are the right to follow the religion of your choice, and the right to express their opinions in public without fear of government interference. This book looks at the court cases that have turned those rights into reality.

The concept of a "wall" between church and state was never in the US Constitution. It comes from letters between President Thomas Jefferson and a group of Connecticut Baptists in the early 1800's. They were complaining because Connecticut had established Congregationalism as the official religion and did not guarantee religious freedom for other faiths.

When it comes to religion in public schools, in 1948, the Supreme Court struck down an Illinois law that set aside class time in public schools for religious instruction. Several years later, in 1952, the Court upheld a New York program that let students out of school to attend private religious instruction.

The Supreme Court has said that the First Amendment protects only speech, not conduct. What about "symbolic speech" like burning the American flag? The book also explores the question of whether money equals speech, like in the Citizens United case.

This is an excellent book. It is easy to understand for the average reader. It is also recommended for law students who need a First Amendment review. This is very much worth reading.