IP: WE THE PEOPLE

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> THIS is TRUE for 4 July 1999 Copyright 1999 by Randy Cassingham 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> WE THE PEOPLE: A survey released for Independence Day in the U.S. shows 
> that Americans cherish their freedoms. The poll, conducted by 
> Vanderbilt University's First Amendment Center, found the most 
> important Constitutional right to Americans is the freedom of speech, 
> followed by the freedom of religion and the right to bear arms. But 
> when asked to name any of the guarantees in the Constitution's First 
> Amendment (freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the 
> press, the right to peaceably assemble and the right to petition the 
> government for the redress of grievances), 49 percent could not name 
> even one. Worse, 53 percent said the press has "too much freedom", and 
> 45 percent thought the government ought to have the power to approve 
> stories that newspapers publish, up from 20 percent just two years ago. 
> (AP) ..."Ignorance, forgetfulness, or contempt of the rights of man are 
> the only causes of public misfortunes and of the corruption of 
> governments." --Declaration of the Rights of Man (French National 
> Assembly, 1791).