O'Donnell stumbles into First Amendment trap

Current news about the First Amendment consists of a net neutrality case involving the ALCU and the FCC. Also in the news is a 1st Amendment challenge by Internet suppliers to an obscenity law obstructing content deemed harmful to minors from adults as well. But the brightest First Amendment spotlight Tuesday shone on Delaware Republican Senate candidate O’Donnell for her lack of knowledge concerning the United States of America Constitution.

1st Amendment laugh lines created by O’Donnell

Christine O’Donnell and Democratic candidate Chris Coons had an argument Tues where the topic had been the 1st Amendment. The Associated Press’ Ben Evans reports that O’Donnell said it had been wrong of Coons to have his opinion on the First Amendment when at Widener University Law School. Coons believes the 1st Amendment is being broken with religious beliefs being imposed on students when teaching creationism. O’Donnell talked about the overreaching federal govt where she cited “indispensable principles of the Founding Fathers” as a Tea Party representative. Coons explained back to her that “One of those indispensable principles is the separation of church and state.” Next O’Donnell asked, “Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?” The audience erupted in laughter.

Everybody extends to see O’Donnell’s ignorance

The First Amendment is within the Bill of Rights. It makes it impossible for any law “respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, infringing on the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.” O’Donnell showed that she’s a “fundamental misunderstanding of what our Constitution is,” based on Coons. O’Donnell shot back: “You’re telling me the separation of church and state is found in the First Amendment?” Next, Coons summarized the 1st Amendment when O’Donnell then said, “That’s within the First Amendment?” Wesley Leckrone, who is a widener political scientist, said to Evans, “You really audibly heard the crowd gasp.”

O’Donnell comprises for comments

Actually, Christine O’Donnell was right. The First Amendment is as she said. In 1791, the Bill of Rights came with the amendments. Thomas Jefferson added “separation of church and state” in 1802, reports Evans. In a letter, Jefferson wrote that the First Amendment established “a wall of separation between Church and State.” O’Donnell didn’t want to talk to reporters after the argument. She wanted to run out. The campaign manager for O’Donnell responded later. She “simply made the point the phrase appears nowhere within the Constitution.”

Data from

SF Gate

sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/19/politics/p060642D21.DTL and tsp=1

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Brainy Quote

brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/thomas_jefferson.html