Publisher's Synopsis
The First Amendment has been analysed, fought over and argued about for over 200 years, but rarely has it been understood by non-lawyers . . . until now! Join Michael LaMonica as he takes you on a journey through the ins and outs of an amendment that means so much more than just freedom of speech. The FIRST AMENDMENT FOR BEGINNERS explores some of the biggest cases ever to come before the Supreme Court in America and answers questions such as whether it really is okay to shout "fire" in a crowded theatre, wear a T-shirt that reads, "F**K THE DRAFT!" (without the asterisks) into a courthouse, burn the flag, burn your draft card, join the Communist party, sell nudie magazines, ban Ku Klux Klan marches and publish confidential US government secrets in a newspaper. The religion clauses are included too, with pertinent questions such as whether the First Amendment protects your right to use psychoactive drugs in religious rituals or marry multiple partners. Also, just how tall does that wall of separation between Church and State really need to be anyway? The book, also, wades into the political maelstrom to examine recent controversies such as whether money really equals speech and corporations have constitutionally protected rights to speech and religion. Whether you're a court watcher, political junkie, history buff, civil libertarian, news enthusiast or just curious about the most important amendment in the US Constitution, this book is for you!
