I Believe in Freedom by David Miles

I believe in the freedoms that have been given to me by the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was written over two hundred years ago, in 1791. The Bill of Rights, introduced by James Madison to the First United States Congress in 1789, plays a central role in the United States law and government. It remains a fundamental symbol of the freedoms and culture of our nation. In Washington, D.C., one of the original fourteen copies of the Bill of Rights is on display for the public to view at the National Archives. Still today, we honor many of those rights that were granted to us in that document.

I have been given the freedom of speech. I have the right to express my opinion to anyone I choose. I can write letters to the editor, talk to people on the street, and run for office. I can run for city council, mayor, governor, Senator, President, to name a few. I can persuade people to think as I do. I have the right to voice my opinion. I have the right to hold an assembly to talk about my and other peoples views about our government. We can gather in parks, assembly halls, community buildings, to name a few. We all have been given the right to express our opinions in small or large groups. I have the right to vote for anyone I like who is running for public office. This means I can help select those who will be governing in the local, state and national offices in the United States of America.

I have been given the freedom to bear arms. I have the right to go to a sporting gun store and buy a gun. I can go hunting if I so choose. I can shoot at clay targets, tin cans or wild animals. I have the right to go out on a cold November morning to shoot a deer, if I so choose. We have the right to form an army to protect my country's freedom. If I choose, when I graduate from high school, I have the right to join the military service.

If I would happen to get in trouble with the law, the United States Bill of Rights guarantees to me a speedy public trial with an impartial jury. The jury will be composed of members of the state or judicial district in which the crime occurred. I have also been given the right that forbids that I can be tried twice for the same crime on the same set of facts.