
Kelsey Holeczy
The growing crowd protests against Elon Musk and corporate influence.
In present-day America, our First Amendment rights are heavily debated and potentially slipping away from us. As a community, we need to educate ourselves on what is happening so that we can take action. Even here in Wheeling, you can make a difference, and understanding what is happening and the amendment’s current uses will help you use your voice to effect change.
The First Amendment includes the freedoms of speech, religion, press, and protest. This allows citizens of the United States to speak their minds and fight for what they believe in. Though there are some limitations, including hate speech and defamation, the general coverage is vast.
Mr. Stanton, a civics and government teacher at Wheeling Park, said, “We need to remember the First Amendment gives citizens in the United States the power to make a difference.”
Throughout history, we have seen the importance of this power in the government, especially for minorities who are forced to fight for their fundamental rights to peacefully exist in the United States. Mr. Triveri, WPHS history teacher, explains this best.
“The free exercise of speech, press, religion, and protest have been a part of the Western classical liberal tradition dating back to the 18th century, which includes the Enlightenment and American and French revolutions. To what extent people exercise [First Amendment rights] and how governments apply them was and is constantly evolving, and of course, have always faced opposition,” said Triveri.
Going even further into the history of this power, Triveri shows how governments throughout history have stripped this ability from their people while facing societal decline.
“I’d argue that the most stable and successful governments are the ones that are best able to promote stability and prosperity for their people, but also the ability to debate and criticize authorities on how best to do that is a crucial aspect of any true democratic system. Repressive governments are tolerated or even celebrated if there is prosperity. But, when there are economic or political challenges, historically, regimes crack down on dissent and restrict individual liberties like free speech to protect the political status quo,” said Triveri.
One of the most timely examples of the restriction is the temporary termination of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The late-night commentary was restricted during a broadcast in which Kimmel addressed the polarization caused by Charlie Kirk’s assassination- which was, ironically, another form of infringing on First Amendment rights.
“Kirk’s death sadly exposes that using your First Amendment right can be dangerous. I also think since Kimmel’s dismissal, you’re going to see more celebrities using their First Amendment right to voice their opinions. I think we will see that Hollywood can have a lot of power,” said Stanton.
But not just celebrities can speak out against this injustice. You, as a citizen of this country, can exercise your right to protest by speaking out against these administrative choices and fighting for what you believe in. The West Virginia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been working relentlessly to educate West Virginians on what is happening in our current society.
Billy Wolfe, the Communications Director of the WV ACLU, said, “The First Amendment is the foundation of our democracy, and it is under attack by those in power. In recent weeks, we have seen an administration hellbent on trampling our freedom of speech by pressuring a private company to remove Jimmy Kimmel from the airwaves, mass firings of teachers and other public sector employees for expressing their viewpoints on their own time about the death of Charlie Kirk, and an executive order from the president labeling anti-fascist protesters as domestic terrorists.”
We often feel powerless as a people to incite real change in our country, but Wolfe goes on to detail how West Virginians can take a stand against the actions of this presidential administration and outline what we can do to make a change.
“West Virginians should be speaking out, wherever and whenever they get the chance, about the issues that matter to them. They should be contacting the governor’s office, getting to know their elected representatives in the state legislature and Congress, and attending their city council and county commission meetings. Those who are taking to the streets to protest these injustices, writing op-eds to their local papers, and expressing themselves on social media are using the First Amendment exactly as it was intended – to hold government actors accountable,” said Wolfe.
West Virginia has direct ties to a Supreme Court case centered around the First Amendment. The ACLU tackled a case in the 1940s dealing with two individuals who refused to salute the flag and were punished by their school administrators for it.
“Our most famous case in West Virginia by far is Barnette v. Board of Education. In the 1940s, during the height of patriotic fervor of World War II, two young girls in West Virginia refused to salute the flag at their school because their Jehovah’s Witness faith forbade it. They were sent home from school and could not return until they were willing to salute the flag with the other students. The ACLU represented them in a case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where they were victorious. The Court found that forcing students to salute the flag represented a violation of their First Amendment rights,” said Wolfe.
Without the preservation of the First Amendment, Wheeling as we know it would see substantial change. Think to the many examples of local protests, including the recent ‘No Kings’ movement.
“In Wheeling, we’ve seen the First Amendment in action through the ‘No Kings’ protest last spring, and a United States Senator from Vermont visiting the city of Wheeling, where many local people spoke on their concerns and ideas. For a town like Wheeling, these were big events that showed the First Amendment in action,” said Stanton.
However, after exploring a lot of aspects of the First Amendment, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered, the main one being: how can the rights described in the First Amendment better suit the citizens of the United States?
“Is [the First Amendment] only limited to government actions? Or does the right to free speech and association extend into the private sphere? What do we do about the trend of attacking the free speech of our political opponents, while absolutely defending the free speech of our political allies? These aren’t easy questions to answer in an increasingly polarized society, but being unable to debate them won’t solve anything either,” said Triveri.
Considering the alleged and weaponized lack of clarity in the status quo, there is clearly change that needs to be made. With this, the next “No Kings” protest occurs on October 18 throughout the country. This protest goes to show that citizens will not be subjected to these harsh violations of our constitutional rights. The Wheeling community will be participating, following the initial “No Kings” protest, which is considered the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. Make a change in your community, and don’t be afraid to use your First Amendment rights to your advantage. You have the freedom to speak your mind, so do it.