Every so often I run into a statement on an online forum that bothers me; claiming that I’m stepping on someone’s first amendment rights to free speech. As a Canadian, it bothers me that some people believe that this right to free speech is something that we non-Americans are supposed to believe in. That’s not the biggest thing that bothers me about it though; that spot is reserved for the fact that these bulletin board posters and LiveJournal whiners are completely unaware of what their rights really say or mean.

The text of the First Amendment to the US Constitution states;

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.

Note that that states simply that Congress shall make no law that restricts religion, speech, press, or assembly. This doesn’t mean that you can claim your First Amendment Rights are being trampled on when the city police drag you off to prison, or when the mayor punches you at a demonstration, or when someone tells you to shut the hell up on an online forum. You can start complaining about that as soon as any of those actions are based on an order of Congress.

I’m sure that there have been millions of opinion pieces written by lawyers and political experts, and any number of possible explanations have been given for what the First Amendment means. I’d bet that most of these opinions would mirror my opinion that a private individual can not infringe on another private individual’s rights as given by the First Amendment; barring, of course any private individual who can command Congress like they were his bitch…