[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 29051]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO SPEECH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Thomas Jefferson once stated, ``A democracy 
cannot be both ignorant and free.'' Our Founding Fathers shared that 
attitude. They knew that if American citizens failed to share 
information and were unable to speak freely, they would be worse off 
than they had been as subjects under Britain's King George III.
  Our Founding Fathers were former colonists under a tyranny that 
controlled information and freedom of expression. King George III 
suppressed free speech, especially speech critical of the Crown or the 
government.
  As the Founding Fathers debated what the new Nation of America should 
look like and stand for, they were determined free speech would be a 
basic right for all of us.
  After the States ratified the Constitution, our Founding Fathers set 
out to enact a declaration of rights. They knew that this was essential 
for our country. That declaration of rights later became the Bill of 
Rights, which includes the first 10 amendments.
  The Bill of Rights, Mr. Speaker, limits government control over us. 
The government does not have any rights. Government has power. It has 
the power we give it when we give up our rights that are listed in the 
Bill of Rights. This is an important concept that unfortunately many 
Americans fail to understand.
  And the first amendment is first because it's the most important. The 
first amendment states in part: Congress shall make no law abridging 
the freedom of speech.
  Without the first amendment of free speech, freedom of the press, 
religion and assembly, the rest of the amendments are meaningless. The 
purpose of the first amendment is to permit free and open discussion 
about important public affairs. This is exactly what was forbidden 
under King George, so it makes sense that this was most important to 
our Founders.
  The Founding Fathers intended free speech to include criticism of the 
government and advocacy of unpopular ideas that are distasteful or even 
against public policy or even controversial issues. Freedom of speech 
allows individuals to express themselves without interference of the 
government.
  For over 200 years, the first amendment has endured without 
substantial alterations or limitations. This is a testament to the 
first amendment's importance. There are a few instances, however, in 
our history where the first amendment has been set aside, including a 
few instances of government censorship, such as sedition acts and 
wartime censorship.
  The most volatile and controversial types of speech are political 
speech and religious speech. That's why they should be protected the 
most, because they are so controversial.
  Congress would do well to stay out of the speech control business, 
especially trying to control the open and free discussion of America's 
two controversial and passionate pastimes, which are politics and 
religion. And besides, the Constitution forbids a speech police by 
Congress.
  George Washington said it very well when he said, ``If the freedom of 
speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be, led like sheep to 
the slaughter.''
  And, finally, Voltaire, who lived right at the time that our 
revolution began, he said, ``I disapprove of what you say but I will 
defend to the death your right to say it.''
  It's important and incumbent upon Congress that we make sure that we 
have open, free and even volatile, if necessary, discussion of 
America's issues, which are politics and religion, because that is the 
type of country we are, and that is what our Constitution and the first 
amendment stand for.
  And that's just the way it is.

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