First Amendment: Congress shall not 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.

G.B.

This amendment should not only be seen as a law but as a natural right — to have a voice, believe in a creator, come together as a community and to gather facts through news, stories and reporting should be a human right. If it is in the Constitution then freedom of press, religion, speech and assembly should be protected for everyone.

But the Pentagon and Trump administration have set new boundaries for the media and gave reporters an ultimatum. Reporters must now sign a pledge to get approval on the information that they report. The Pentagon shouldn’t have made such a demand. When the press must get approval to work with the people from the Pentagon — who they need to visualize, gather information from and interview — the integrity and impact of the information to the public is lost. Another instance of this sort of censorship was when President Trump launched lawsuits toward the media. Voices that are opinionated or factual are being targeted.

The media serves the purpose to educate, inform and entertain any type of news to not only Americans but for people all over the world. The United States government must allow  Americans their first amendment rights. “Free speech” was in place to stop the government from targeting and punishing individuals or media organizations for speaking out/stating opinions on the government. The government should not be given the power to punish, arrest or censor anyone for opinions being spoken about them. I believe anyone can be called out for their opinions but I do not believe in attacking or violating the Bill of Rights. The media being censored by the Trump administration and Pentagon, along with adding the lawsuits against well-known media companies, has more than shown the administration’s intentions of purposely violating the human right to use the one thing we are meant to use — our voice.

F.C.

You do not need to know the entirety of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to understand that your basic human rights are under attack. The use of censorship and the removal of writing or work that is considered to be politically unsafe or threatening is increasing at an alarmingly fast rate. Examples of recent attempts at censorship include apps such as Instagram banning Pro-Palestinan and Anti-Trump accounts, and the enactment of the Senate Bill 2972 banning demonstrations and protests during the last two weeks of a college semester, which limits engaging in expressive activities during certain hours and more.

The First Amendment waits for no one, much less college administrations who are attempting to restrict the expressions of the student public. It is no coincidence that the Bill of Rights begins with the First Amendment, outlining freedom of expression, press, speech, assembly, protest and religion. It serves as the preliminary protection of every person on American soil to express themselves as they see fit, regardless of any entity’s personal interests.

Let me make myself abundantly clear, what the Texan legislature and the Trump administration are attempting to do is nothing short of unconstitutional and unethical. It is up to us — students, educators, journalists, service workers and more — to be diligent in the choices we make when it comes to expression in all forms. An injustice to one is an injustice to all, meaning that the infringement of rights from the government or any other administrative group onto one particular population threatens the certainty of every single person under its reign. The dignity of you, your communities and your ideas are at stake.

Your lack of participation in politics does not bar you from the consequences and effects of politics. In the digital age, there is no excuse to not have even a semblance of understanding of ongoing issues in your communities, including your amendments. Changes in policies from local legislatures have just as much impact as presidential changes do to your livelihood. Websites such  Know Your Rights — Free DC and Texas Policy Research provide free, easy-to-read resources regarding changes happening in policies around you. Know that your right to expression is absolute, and stay vigilant.