“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.”
As a country, we pride ourselves on the existence of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. We are especially proud of our 1st Amendment right, the freedom to express ourselves and to speak freely. We are free to say what we think even in the face of controversy. We are especially free to criticize the government. Our job as citizens is to make sure that we are responsible in what we say when we exercise our 1st Amendment rights.
The Internet is a collection of information on any subject. The Internet is a global network of computers. This network can connect with anyone, any web site, any time. You can make your voice, pictures and thoughts heard via the Internet to any interested party. The 1st Amendment stands to protect these Internet voices.
Our government has tried to censor web sites on the Internet which show inappropriate material. The government says that one major problem with free speech and expression on the Internet is that a minor can easily gain access to sexually explicit web sites. For example, if you are looking for the official U. S. White House web site on the Internet and you type in http://www.whitehouse.com instead of http://www.whitehouse.gov, you enter a pornographic web site with material not appropriate for minors or modest people.