The United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment originally had a totally different text than what was know of it today.
It originally dealt with the size of congress, specifically the house of representatives. It basically said that when the number of representatives in the the house of representatives went to 100 members, that it should not go below 100 members. Once it reached 200 member, that the count should not go above 200 members. (Just to put some context on this, there are currently 435 members of the house of representatives.) It was ratified by 10 of the original 13 states, the last to approve it was done so in 1789.
Now, what we see today is something that is totally different. What we have today says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibit the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
This was the first Amendment to the Constitution. It was the most important of the amendments, in that this was what was first and foremost on the constitutional convention members minds. The others followed, but this was the first.
So, what does this mean? What rights are granted to you, as a citizen of this country, by this amendment?
First, let me say what this amendment does not grant to you.
You are not allowed to slander nor libel someone. That is to defame their good name, character, belief or otherwise do them harm by your word nor writing. They, too, have rights. The exercise of your right must not interfere with their exercise of their rights.
This amendment only pertains to “congress shall make no law”. It says so right up front. This does not apply to a state government, a business, nor your own local web site. You do not have the right to say whatever you wish on whatever platform that you choose to say it. This means that you do not have the right to free speech here on this web site. You are not paying for the web site, even if you do contribute, so it is not yours. If you work in a business, you do not have the right to speak with anyone that you choose. You do not have the right to dress in an manner that violates their dress code, even if it is your speech. If you attend a school, you do not have the right to paint slogans on the side of the buildings. That is not free speech, even if it is something that you strongly believe in saying.
It does not grant you the right kill someone because human sacrifice is part of your region. If it is, you will have to settle for killing mice or some other unprotected, poor, defenseless animal. But, people are definitely out.
It doe not grant you the right to incite or entice a riot at a political gathering just because you are speaking. It does not give you the right to tell a crowd to “beat them up” even if you offer to pay the legal fees later. (Even to make the legal fees offer makes you complicit in their actions on your behalf.)
What it does grant to you is a bit more broad.
What you do have is the right to get up on a soap box in your local park, and tell everyone what you feel about government, the weather, or your favorite movie. (Provided that you don't cause a riot in the process as the right to public safety preempts your right to free speech.)
What you do have the right to do is to assemble a crowd and get up on the podium and give your thoughts about role of women in general to a group of people, perhaps hundreds of not thousands of people.
What you do have the right to do is to make a fool of yourself. (You can't make a fool of someone else, but you, yourself, are fair game.)
The amendment is related to the federal congress of the United States of America. It is not related to the individual states, such as California. (Federal law would probably preempt state law in this regard if there was a conflict and a state attempted to restrict your right to freedom of religion for example.) So, similar entries are made in the state constitutions that essentially say the same thing and give you the same rights within the state borders.
This amendment was so important because it embodied the injustices that were done to the colonies by the British before the revolutionary war. The right to assemble was denied because that might cause insurrection. The right to object to the government was denied because that was being a rebel and denying the divine right of the king. The right to freedom of the press was denied because you might spread sedition far and wide by your writings. The right of religion was denied because, even though the king (Henry VIII) was at one time Catholic, he wanted a divorce and the church would not grant it. So, he formed his own church and ordered that the country only honor the “Church of England”, or what we call the Episcopalian church in the United States. The English people have had freedom of Religion since 1919 when the church and state finally got their own divorce.
Finally, I do want to say something about slander and libel. You do not have the right to falsely accuse someone of something. You do not have the right to expound, nor repeat, nor propagate a false statement when you know it to be false and misleading. That being said, there is one exception to this. The truth is an absolute defense against slander and libel. If you can show what you are saying is the truth, objectively, and not by “belief”, the you can repeat the truth even if the person does not like the truth to be told. You can not defame nor harm someone by speaking the truth.
A newspaper can not publish a lie if they know it to be a lie when they publish it. That is libel. They may publish an inaccuracy or something that is incorrect. They may even publish something that is later found to be incorrect. But to knowingly publish a lie is wrong. (“Letters to the editor” and advertisements are different and do not apply.)
Then, we come to people who knowing put themselves out in the public as models; usually as a politician. They have even fewer rights to privacy, libel, and slander because they are a public image. Ted Cruz’s sex life is one such instance.
DONALD J. TRUMP, JR. OF NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK SAID THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SEVERE PENALTY FOR WOMEN WHO GET AN ABORTION IN THE UNITED STATES UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION. That is the truth. He said it. It is a matter of record. He can not “walk it back” and try to say that he meant something else. This is not slander if I repeat it; nor is it libel if I write it. It is the truth.