In observance of Constitution Day, faculty and students were
asked to respond to the question: What could you live without
and/or not live without in our Constitution? The following faculty
and students shared their thoughts.
Students
“I feel I could not live without the First Amendment of the
Constitution, since freedom of speech and freedom of the press are
fundamental to my view of being American. I could not imagine
living in a country without the right to freely speak my mind,
protest injustice, or question authority. However, I could
live without the Second Amendment. While the right to bear
arms may have been a necessary freedom during the instability
surrounding our country’s birth, today, gun violence in America
causes much pain and suffering.”
Tara Cuskley’14
Saint John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Queens
Campus
Psychology (Graduate)
“Freedom of speech is one of our most fundamental
rights and an important catalyst in our democratic process. The
right to speak our mind, our thoughts, our beliefs and our
criticisms, is the building block on which our government is
designed to work for us. It is through differing opinions being
heard that we come to see alternatives, to consider other options
and other schools of thought. It is a testament to the
effectiveness of our democracy that our diversity is
strengthened by the ability of all people - the majority
and the minority - to let their voices be heard.”
Paul Park ‘05
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
,Queens Campus
Public Administration
“The one part of the Bill of Rights I feel that I could not live
without is the First Amendment, the Freedom of the Press in
particular. I often feel as if the Freedom of the Press is the
most overlooked Freedom we Americans possess. We rely on it in
our daily lives to keep us up with the current events of the world
and it holds our leaders accountable. America without the
Freedom of the Press would not be a place where I would want to
live.”
Daniel Cahill ’11
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,
Queens Campus
Politics & Government
“Indisputably, no American can live without the 1st
Amendment. I would not be able to live without it as the
1st amendment grants me the liberty to do 3 important
things; speak, practice and challenge government. Through the
1st amendment I can speak my mind without fear of
imprisonment. I can practice my religion without being killed,
unlike other countries in which government prohibits the practice
of religion. Also, with the 1st amendment I can defy
government decisions by peacefully assembling. Contrary, the
2nd amendment I could live without, the fewer guns the
less violence.”
Marlene Sanchez ‘09
College of Professional Studies
Legal Studies
"The Constitution is a beacon of hope to many
people. It represents all that the US encompasses and stands for as
a sovereign nation. If I could choose to live without one amendment
in the Bill of Rights, it would probably be the right to “bear
arms.” While I think it would be necessary for the state to
have weapons in order to keep structure in our society, I don’t
think that individual citizens should have this right. By taking
guns out of the hands of citizens you would eliminate a lot of
senseless killings amongst members of the same nation state. I also
believe the rate of crime and violence would lessen considerably as
well. While this is the one amendment that I believe I personally
could live without, it may not be the same one my neighbor would be
willing to give up. Case in point, this is what makes the US
Constitution such an amazing document. It allows for anyone and
everyone to feel and believe however they choose.”
Tim Howard ‘11
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences
Government and Politics
“The Bill of Rights secures my right to vote in any election in
the United States. It also secures my right to choose which
political party I identify the closest with. Our Government cannot
force any specific set of political beliefs upon us. It is our
right to choose. Since I am still educating myself on the
differences between the Democratic and Republican parties, I have
not registered with either party just yet. Although I haven’t made
a decision, I am pleased to know that it is my choice, and my
decision will be well respected."
Louise Donohoe ‘10
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Psychology
“As I sat in the classroom saturated with both the opinions of
my peers and myself as well, my mind began to wonder about what, if
anything is within the Bill of Rights that I could do without.
After an intense discussion of the importance of a unification of
language amongst today’s America, I decided that I could not live
without the first amendment as I asserted my freedom of speech and
voiced an opinion opposite of many. Then I began to consider the
very reasons the pilgrims and many others, through the centuries,
have sought shelter within our borders.”
Phylicia Johnson’08
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
English/ Government and Politics
“I believe the right to keep and bear arms is
unnecessary becausewe are all aware of the problem of handgun
violence in this country, and we take seriously the concerns raised
by many who believe that the argument of self-defense is a
solution. The truth is, gun violence is a serious problem.If the
population is disarmed, then protection against crimes will be
provided mainly by the police. People very much want not to be
victims of crimes, so if protection depends on the police, there
will be public support for expanding the powers of the police, so
they can better protect us. The result is more powerful crime
control, which I think is a good thing. “
Fan Yang ‘08
“The most important part of the Bill of Rights that I
can’t live without is the first amendment. The first amendment
involves many of my basic freedoms. Freedom of speech and freedom
of religion are very important to me. I come from a religious
family and I could not imagine not being able to practice my
religion. Also, the thought of someone telling me that I could not
speak my mind or have my own opinion is in fact scary. Basically,
without these rights I could not be the unique person I am.”
Leo Gonzalez ‘09
“One part of the Bill of Rights that I could not live without is
the 9th amendment. I feel that this amendment is
important because it mentions the rights that we are still entitled
even though they are not explicitly stated in the Bill of Rights.
It protects citizens from being taken advantage of by being denied
rights that we should have, but are too many to list in the Bill of
Rights. This Amendment allows our government to add rights for its
citizens. For example, workman’s compensation, rights for the
disabled, and the right to privacy.”
Bianca Noumbissi ‘11
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Environmental Studies
“What the constitution means to me is opportunity. Although
not all opportunities are guaranteed, the constitution opens the
door. Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘The U. S. Constitution doesn't
guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up
with it yourself.’ Over the years, the constitution has been
the reason for many changes in our nation. When I think of the
constitution, I think back to the civil war and the 15th
amendment. This amendment allowed an African American the
opportunity to vote and be considered a citizen. Although African
Americans gained freedom through the constitution, they weren’t
necessarily granted happiness. However, they were given the
opportunity to pursue it. So when I think of the constitution I
think of the Bill of Rights, the amendments, and all the laws that
make our country unique and make it possible to pursue
happiness.”
Antron Sykes’09
“The United States is a country founded on the
principles of individual freedoms. John Locke once argued that
civil society was created with the purpose of protecting property,
which refers to a person’s life, liberty and estate.
The most important part of the Bill of Rights is freedom of speech
and expression. This enables someone to be their own
individual and guarantees them the right of choice-protecting their
right to life. On the contrary, the right to bear arms is one
part of the Bill of Rights that most people could live
without.”
Zach Ahlstrom’11
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Government and Politics
Faculty
“I do not think that I could live without the rights guaranteed in
the First Amendment that protect: freedom of religion, speech,
press, assembly and the right to petition our government. I
believe that our most important rights as citizens are found in
this Amendment. The idea that citizens may freely gather
together, or may speak out using the spoken and written word seems
so fundamental to who we are, not only as Americans, but as basic
human beings. The First Amendment is also on of the first
known guarantees of religious freedom and that right is crucial now
and always.”
Brian Browne
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Assistant Vice President of Government Relations
Office of Government Relations
"As a society, I believe, we cannot live without the first
amendment of the Constitution. It fundamentally changed the tenor
of the document and, in my view, made this country an enduring form
of democracy. The first amendment guarantees ordinary citizens a
voice in government, beyond voting, as it guarantees the right to
ask government to meet needs and wants. In addition, the amendment
requires the government to exercise tolerance – of speech, of
religion, of the press. By requiring government to exercise
tolerance, the amendment encourages a society that practices
tolerance. Thus, the amendment ensures the presence of a
marketplace of political ideas, ranging from the obvious to the
uncomfortable, which is essential for a free society. As an
individual who makes her living exchanging ideas, the loss of the
freedoms guaranteed by the first amendment would fundamentally
change not only how I participate in society but also how I do my
job."
Diane J. Heith, PhD
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Associate Professor and Chair
Government and Politics