During the COVID 19 pandemic, I (we) became aware of the vast number of medical, scientific, political and constitutional scholars who espouse their expertise in each and every post or comment to every post. I am not an expert in virology, or medicine. I am not qualified to give input into the "science" of "flattening the curve" or when the economy should re-open. I certainly have opinions but there is a difference between an educated opinion and perhaps a guess.
Following the government's closure or shut down and reopening, I had no idea that I had so many friends who are experts in federal and state constitutional law. Experts on freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and of course the right to bear arms. As I began to read these scholars' posts or comments, I became increasingly frustrated at the misinformation, the erroneous information, and the plain idiotic information that was being posted. Rather than being frustrated, I had an epiphany and this epiphany led me to begin this blog. A blog concerning constitutional and criminal law.
Because of the actions in Michigan related to anti-lockdown protests, I wanted to start with the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution. In the days and weeks ahead, I will outline the individual rights provided by the 1st Amendment - religion, speech, press, petition and assembly. Yes, five individual rights are found in the 1st Amendment alone - this amendment reads,
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The current situation lends itself to examine the right of the people to peaceably assemble and this is where our
journey will begin.