No law should be based on religion nor should government be based on religion. Don't expect your religion or any religion to influence the law. Public spaces and public places are for everyone. Even if your religion is in the majority, the Ten Commandments, manger scenes, or other religious displays should not be on public property. Prayer does not belong in public schools except when an individual wants to silently pray.
No law should prohibit the free exercise of religion. Citizens can practice any religion or have no religion.
Citizens have freedom of speech and freedom of the press. We can freely speak our ideas and opinions and publish them on paper or in other media as long as we don't incite violence or other criminal activity. However, the misuse of this freedom is vey difficult to control. Public school librarians should be in charge of books made available to students regardless of pressures to ban certain books.
Citizens have the right to assemble peacefully. We may peacefully gather together to be in favor or against ideas and opinions. We may protest unfair treatment and laws. When the powers that be don't listen and continue to treat citizens unfairly, people have to get their attention in other ways as long as they remain peaceful. Some protestors become too angry, turn violent, and lose their effectiveness. We need to try and understand why they are angry.
Citizens have the right to petition government for redress of grievances. We can contact our legislators and other officials and go to court to present our case. We can also present grievances to employers.
The First Amendment exists for the benefit of everyone.
