Interpretations+Throughout+the+Years(2)

Amendment 1 (2) **Changing Interpretations throughout the years:** Over the past 200 years the first amendment has experienced little changes.

__1865:__ The Fourteenth Amendment was passed which applied the First Amendment to the states as well as the Federal Governments. With this law the states could not longer make laws that impose the citizen’s 1st amendment rights.

__During WWI (1914-1920)__ The Espionage Act of 1917: people could not write or say anything that might encourage disloyalty or interfere with drafting of servicemen

Sedition Act of 1918: made speaking “disloyal or abusive language” about the flag, Constitution and government a criminal act.

__During WWII (1939-1945):__ Laws were passed that made advocating for government overthrow at any level, writing or saying anything that may encourage insubordination/ disloyalty among the military illegal.

__After World War II:__ Censorship became the big thing after WWII; it was called the “McCarthy Era” and “The Red Scare.” The target was Communism. Writings, speeches and activities were scrutinized for communist propaganda and leftist advocacy. These laws no longer apply today.

__Today:__ The First Amendment freedoms include various areas: freedom of information, government access and citizens’ right to know and right to privacy.

The Right to know consists of 5 parts:
 * 1) Freedom from prior restraint.
 * 2) Freedom from punitive censorship.
 * 3) Right to collect information.
 * 4) Right to have access to the media and materials necessary for collecting that information.
 * 5) Right to distribute information and to make it directly available to all members of the public without interference from the government under law or from private groups acting outside the law.

__Things not covered by the 1st Amendment:__
 * Burning draft cards to protest draft — prohibited because of superior governmental interest.
 * Words likely to incite imminent violence, termed “fighting words.”
 * Words immediately jeopardizing national security.
 * Newspaper publishing false and defamatory material — libel.”
 * The only thing not covered is obscenity. Unless it presents a danger to the nation or to the citizens like Child pornography the Supreme court would not rule to have it removed.