Liberty is your right—embrace it

When this country's founders developed the Constitution, they not only wanted to spell out how our new government would run— they also wanted to guarantee citizens of this country "inalienable" rights that no one, including the government, could take away. The Bill of Rights is comprised of the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution and they spell out the rights that U.S. citizens possess.

These rights are important for anyone, especially to students who are pursuing a dream by getting an education. Some may want to form a company with a global presence, create a new technology or found a non-profit organization. Because of the Bill of Rights, you get to decide what you do. It's not delegated by a government committee.

Free to be you

The first Amendment of the Bill of Rights allows you the freedom to express your ideas in speech and writing, as well as the right to practice the religion of your choice. So, if you're forming a new business, you can introduce it to people by making presentations in front of groups, send sales letters, create a website and more.

This Amendment also allows peaceful assembly, so you can call people together for any peaceful purpose—including board meetings, sales meetings or just to hang out and shoot the breeze.

Other Amendments address your legal rights, including your right to be tried by a jury of your peers. The ninth Amendment even protects rights that are not specifically spelled out in the Constitution. How incredible is that?

Madison and the Bill of Rights

The genius behind the Bill of Rights is James Madison, often called the "Father of the Constitution." At the time, he was a congressman representing the state of Virginia and later would become our 4th President. Madison was concerned with creating a system of checks and balances to protect individual rights, so the majority would not overshadow the rights of the minority to possess and express their personal views—even if they are not in agreement with the majority. This may be surprising to us now, but at the time it was not a popular stance with the first U.S. Congress and took two years from the date the Bill of Rights was created (September 1789) to be ratified by the U.S. Congress as part of our Constitution in December 1791.

James Madison was a passionate believer in individual freedom. He based the Bill of Rights on the state of Virginia's Declaration of Rights, the recommendation of the 13 original states, centuries of English law and principles of the American Revolution.

Although they were created more than two centuries ago, the Bill of Rights represents the culture of our nation and stand as a significant legal accomplishment for the individual.

Honor your rights by acting on them

Now that you understand the uniqueness of the Bill of Rights, how can you, as an American, embrace your inalienable rights and honor the forethought and sacrifice that individuals past and present have made so you can enjoy them? By going beyond the boundaries, playing outside of the box, exploring the territories that are off the trail and blazing your own way.

You are afforded the gift of knowing that everything you do, as long as it doesn't infringe on anyone else's rights, is protected by law. No one, not even your own government, can take away that freedom without going through a specific judicial process.

Resources

The Avalon Project—Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy, Yale Law School, http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/rights1.asp

http://ourconstitutionalrights.com/

Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia, American President, Madison Essays Biography, http://millercenter.org