ARE WE F ORGE T T I NG ABOU T T HE F I RS T AMENDMEN T ?
MY CHALLENGE TO YOU ON CONST I TUT ION DAY
The section that has always stood out the most to me is, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” Free speech is a fundamental part of who we are as a country. Thanks to our Constitution, we can express ourselves freely and take our concerns to the newspaper or the government without fear. What worries me is that some people seem to have forgotten we have those fundamental rights, or that they apply even when we don’t like what we’re hearing. Our political discourse is so divisive. At various times over the last year, I’ve heard commentators, news outlets, politicians, and influencers not only disagree with what others say but endorse silencing their perspectives to prevent them from being heard at all. Silencing speech runs counter to who we are as a country and, depending upon who is doing it and why, may violate the First Amendment, which doesn’t pick and choose which thoughts it protects. I think each generation needs to rediscover the true meaning of the First Amendment and how important it is to preserve. That’s a huge challenge, but I invite you to grapple with it this Constitution Day! On Sept. 17, take a few minutes to sit down with this newsletter, read over the text of the First Amendment and reflect on the benefits of free expression. You may even want to do some research. Knowledge is power, and it’s the first step toward preserving our rights.
You may not have known this, but Constitution Day falls on Friday, Sept. 17. Constitution Day celebrates the day the Founding Fathers signed the document way back in 1787. As a lawyer, I think about the Constitution a lot, but over the last few years, I’ve heard the amendments come up in conversations outside my work, too.
In particular, the First, Second, and 25th amendments have made their way into the limelight. Sometimes, though, I think the people who bring them up don’t really understand them — especially the First Amendment, which is my personal favorite. Just in case you don’t have a pocket Constitution, here’s a refresher on what the amendment says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
SUDOKU
EASY PEACH COBBLER
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
• • • • • • • • •
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, add butter and place in oven. Remove when melted. 2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then pour in milk and stir until the mixture is smooth. 3. Pour the batter over the melted butter, but don’t stir! 4. In a pot, bring peaches, lemon juice, and remaining sugar to a boil. Stir constantly. 5. Pour peaches over batter, but once again, don’t stir! 6. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, then bake at 375 F for 45 minutes.
1 cup flour
2 cups sugar, divided 1 tbsp baking powder
Dash of salt 1 cup milk
4 cups peaches (fresh is best!)
SOLUT ION
1 tbsp lemon juice
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg to taste
Inspired by MyRecipes.com
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