Board Ed: Why the First Amendment still matters – Los Angeles Loyolan

Graphic: Katie Nishimura | Loyolan

As we enter into our annual First Amendment Week, reflecting on the First Amendment and its necessary freedoms is of vital importance.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution ensures the freedoms of speech, press, religion, the right to assemble and the right to petition the government. All five elements of the amendment have been and continue to be critical to the promotion of positive change and equality in the United States.

Freedom of speech insulates political discourse and provides each American citizen with the ability to have a say in the nations political needle. It also ensures that minority communities in America have the ability to play a part in political discourse.

For over 70 years, womens rights activists campaigned for womens suffrage by holding conventions, marching in the streets, pressuring lawmakers and even picketing at the White House. While they did not yet have the power to vote, the strength of unified voices across the country forced Congress to listen; finally, in 1920, they succeeded.

The power of free speech was equally transformative during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. Facing stifling oppression from segregation, voter restriction, police brutality and systemic inequality, Black activists used their voices to demand change. They exercised their First Amendment rights through sit-ins, boycotts, marches and protests, making a visible statement. Their refusal to back down led to groundbreaking legal protections, most notably the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

Free speech is the weapon by which oppressed and marginalized groups can ensure their rights as sovereign citizens.

As todays human rights activists fight for the safety and well-being of marginalized communities, freedom of speech is vital. It allows for those with little power to challenge those who have too much, and has the ability to bring about revolutionary change.

Freedom is not a uniform privilege, it is a spectrum. The American government may not always recognize rights that ought to be recognized, and there will continue to be communities who are comparatively unfree, comparatively unequal. Free speech is the weapon by which oppressed and marginalized groups can ensure their rights as sovereign citizens.

The linking of freedoms is an intentional consequence of the First Amendment. Of course, when talking about freedom of expression, it is necessary to draw comparisons to freedom of religion, which is, for many Americans, an ability that unites congregations and cultivates a sense of fulfillment. Americans are often at their most unified when engaged in group worship or by exercising their right to explore spirituality through varied and protected rituals.

As student journalists, the freedom of the press gives us the opportunity to keep the LMU community informed and hold our institution accountable. A free press is fundamental to the existence of a true democracy, and news organizations across the nation bear the responsibility of factual reporting. The Loyolan is built on the pillars of accuracy, relevancy and responsibility these are standards that we hold ourselves to in each and every article we publish. The LMU community has the right to be informed about what is happening on campus, so it is our responsibility to report the facts.

Here at LMU, First Amendment Week has been an amazing opportunity for all of us at the Loyolan to connect with the rest of the community. We hosted our first Wellness Wednesday table and had students and staff share something that they love, in honor of freedom of speech (and Valentines Day, which conveniently fell in that same week). We also hosted a screening of senior computer science, history, and applied mathematics triple major Veronica Backer-Peral's documentary, Promise and Peril, and will be sponsoring an event with L.A. Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida next week.

The First Amendment is not only still relevant, it is also critical to the health and safety of all American citizens. On a local, state and national scale, those five necessary freedoms are as fundamental to our nation as they were nearly 250 years ago.

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Board Ed: Why the First Amendment still matters - Los Angeles Loyolan