Why the bill of rights is important to the constitution
Today many people wonder if it was necessary for the United States to have a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution. Before the Bill of Rights, the Constitution focused on government, and the government system. Britain’s Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone even had something to say about the Constitution; “The most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.”(The Evolving Constitution page 6) As great as the document was it failed to go into detail about individual’s rights. Many people felt that now that the United States is free from Britain and is becoming independent, then the people should become independent also. When the Bill of Rights was finally written, Britain’s Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone said the Constitution was; “The most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.” With that in mind the Continental Convention met to decide on rights for the people. In 1786 delegates tried to hold a meeting to discuss problems with the Articles in Annapolis, Maryland. Only five states sent delegates. However the group of delegates convinced congress to hold another Constitutional Convention. Everything seemed to be going down
The Bill of Rights protects and sometimes even saves people’s lives. The first amendment protects the freedom of assembly, or protest. In 1965 students in Des Moines, Iowa wore black armbands to school as a form of protest about the Vietnam War. The principal asked the students to remove the arm bands, but they refused. Nevertheless, the students were suspended. Mary Beth Tinker, her brother and a friend, wore the armbands to school in December 1965. When they were asked to remove them, they refused, and were then suspended. Their parents were able to sue in court to establish their first Amendment right. The case reached the Supreme Court in 1969, and the students were favored seven to two by the justices. On April 1789 the first Congress met. One of the first congressmen who recognized that the national legislature must add personal rights to the Constitution was James Madison, the framer of the Bill of Rights. On June 8th Madison quoted; “It cannot be a secret to the gentlemen in this House, that, notwithstanding the ratification of this system of government… yet still there is a great number of our Constituents who are dissatisfied with it… We ought not to disregard their inclination but… conform to their wishes and expressly declare the great rights of man kind.”(The Bill of Rights and Land mark cases page 19-20) Then on August 24th the House of Representatives approved the Bill of Rights. After it was approved there it was sent to the senate, it included seventeen amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights plays a significant role in determining court cases. The lawyers of both sides of the case must strictly follow the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. For example if a lawyer were to find evidence to prove his or her case, but did it by violating the laws, then the Judge would dismiss the evidence, and it would not be able to enter the court again. The rights of the people mostly come about in court however, in a person’s ordinary day the rights apply. Take for example a student’s right to read whatever book they choose in English class, or his or her ri
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Approximate Word count = 1433
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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