The Bill Of Rights In the time we live in, knowing the Bill of Rights is important. Although the individual rights in the bill are defined in an ambiguous way, nonetheless they can be crucial when people start to oppress liberty and threaten our fundamental freedoms. The Bill of Rights protects us from unreasonable search and seizure, the oppression of religious freedom, and government censorship among many other exploitative practices. Because it is part of the Constitution, it is binding upon all other laws. Any law that is found to contradict it has to be overturned. The interesting thing about the Bill of Rights in my opinion is that its power is based on the faith people put in it. There are plenty of bills of rights in different countries, and all of them have slightly different rules and regulations. The interpretation changes over time, and yet people assume that the Bill of Rights is something timeless. And in this belief lies its strength. For example, the president might get support from the public for a program to monitor private phone calls as part of the “war on terror”. When someone brings up the Bill of Rights, however, it makes the discussion more complicated. You might get nowhere arguing with someone who is for government spying by saying it is unjust and unfair, but once you say it is against the spirit of the founders of the country, it might make them pause and think. This is the power of the Bill of Rights. Of course there are some matters in the Bill of Rights that are fiercely debated. For example, a lot has been said about the right to not undergo unreasonable search and seizure. Is it unreasonable for cops to pull you over and look in your car simply because they have some vague suspicion that you might be doing something illegal? Is it unreasonable for a municipality to seize your property because they suspect you might be involved in organized crime? RICO laws, the right of the police to stop motor vehicles, and many other common practices in this country may be seen as violating the unreasonable search and seizure clause. Although none of these have been repealed because of it yet, it does hold forth hope that they may someday. Similarly, there is a debate over gun-control and whether it violates the right to bear arms. How this will turn out is anyone's guess right now. It is up to the judges in the Supreme Court and the citizens bringing lawsuits. Summary Knowing our bill of rights is something every American should know. The basics of the bill state we are not subject ot unlawful search and seizure, we have religious freedom to attend any church we choose, and government has no right to spy on it's people. The constitution is the backbone of society in this country and should be protected and upheld for the population. Related Articles How Do American Politics Measure Up? Register To Vote Related Sites