Reflections of the First Amendment Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Reflections of the First Amendment Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Reflections of the First Amendment Reflections of the First Amendment Reflections of the First Amendment University of Phoenix HIS/301- The United States Constitution Reflections of the First Amendment The First Amendment, also called the Great Amendment, is in many ways the cornerstone of America?s free, open, and tolerant society. The First Amendment is the basis of a democracy that values individual liberty. The amendment protects the freedom of religion, press, speech, assembly, and petition. It guarantees that Americans can share the information they need for a strong public debate on the issues, and to act on the issues. The five freedoms specifically protected in the First Amendment are not mutually exclusive, so there has been considerable overlap in real-life cases. Freedom of Religion The First Amendment guarantees that the government will not prefer one religion over another. It also guarantees that the government will not prefer religion in general over nonreligion or the lack of religion. The protections for religion in the First Amendment are two-sided. The Establishment Clause says, ?Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion?while the Exercise Clause says, ?or prohibiting the free exercise thereof .The Establishment Clause is considered absolute; the government cannot prohibit anyone from establishing or following their own religion. In one of the first religion cases to come before the Supreme Court, a Utah man asked the justices to overturn a federal law prohibiting polygamy; he said having more than one wife was part of his Mormon religion. The court held up the polygamy law, reasoning that religion was not a license for extreme behavior (The Christian Monitor). The Supreme Court had seen a raise in First Amendment cases in the mid-twentieth century, many of them involving Jehovah?s Witnesses appealing against local laws aimed at keeping them from practicing the ?witness? part of their faith by going door-to-door and handing out leaflets. One law that was overturned required them to have permits, and another let authorities charge them with littering for leaving their leaflets around town. (NewsMax.com Wires2002) School Prayer In 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that the New York Board of Regents violated the First Amendment by requiring a prayer, written to be non-denominational, to be recited in public schools. The following year, the court ruled that public schools cannot require daily Bible readings or recitations, including the Lord?s Prayer (FindLaw 2011). A 1985 Supreme Court case overturned an Alabama law allowing schools to have a one-minute of silence at the start of the school day; it might have permissible if the minute of silence was for nonreligious purposes. Subsequent cases have held that invocations at public school graduation ceremonies are unconstitutional, even if attendance is voluntary and the students vote to have an opening prayer, and so are student-initiated prayers before public-school football games (FindLaw, 2011). Religious Displays A religion-oriented display, such as the manger scene at Christmas, is not necessarily a violation of church and state. The Supreme Court has held that it is, depending on whether it seems to be presented to benefit or promote a particular view of religion, or whether it is part of a more secular display to celebrate the season. A manger scene in a county courthouse has been held unconstitutional, for example, while a Christmas tree and a menorah have been allowed. Similarly, displays of religious symbols such as the Ten Commandments may or may not violate the First Amendment. The court pointed out the distinction, by a pair of five to four rulings, in two cases in 2005. The cases were distinguished by a single swing vote, Justice David Souter. Souter said a Ten Commandments monument in a Texas park at the state capitol in Austin was all right because there were other nonreligious symbols of law and justice in the park. On the other hand, he said Ten Commandment plaques placed in Ken tucky courthouses appeared to be religious symbols because they stand alone, rather than as a part of a larger secular display (Marus 2005, Associated Baptist Press). One of the most highly publicized cases involving religious symbols began in 2001, when Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore installed a large monument in the state judicial building. The ACLU and others filed a suit, claiming the monument violated the separation of

Applying for U.S. Government Jobs Guide

Applying for U.S. Government Jobs Guide Projecting to hire 193,000 new employees over the next two years, the U.S. government is a great place to look for a great career. The federal government is the largest single employer in the United States, with almost 2 million civilian workers. About 1.6 million are full-time permanent employees. Contrary to popular belief, five of six federal employees work outside the Washington, D.C. area, in locations across the U.S. and even abroad. Federal employees work in 15 cabinet-level agencies; 20 large, independent agencies and 80 smaller agencies. When you apply for a job in federal government, there are some specific instructions you need to follow in order to give your application best chance of winning an interview: Applying for  a Government Job The best and easiest way to find and apply for government jobs is now online through the USAJOBS.gov website, the federal government’s official employment portal. Applying for jobs on USAJOBS.gov is a six-step process: Create a USAJOBS account: You will first need to create a Login.gov personal account on USAJOBS. Login.gov is service that that offers safe, secure, and private online access to a wide range of government programs, such as federal benefits, services, and applications. A single login.gov account enables you to use the same username and password to sign into multiple government websites, including USAJOBS.gov.Create a USAJOBS profile: A USAJOBS account and profile allows you to save jobs you are interested in, save and automate job searches, and manage the forms and other documents needed to complete job applications.Search for jobs: Be sure to sign into your USAJOBS account before doing a job search. USAJOBS uses your profile information to better mold your job search results to your needs. In addition, you can use filters such as location, salary, work schedule or agency to narrow your results.Review Job Announcements: Each job announcement includes qualifications and eligibility req uirements you must meet and include in your application. Since these qualifications and eligibility requirements may differ from job-to-job and agency-to-agency, it is important to read the job announcement completely and carefully. Prepare your application in USAJOBS: Each job announcement will include a â€Å"How to Apply† section you should read before starting the application process. To start your application, click â€Å"Apply† in the job announcement and USAJOBS will guide through the process during which you’ll attach your resume and any required documents. As you work through the application process you can review, edit, delete and update your information. USAJOBS automatically saves your work as you go.Submit your application to the agency: When your application is finished, USAJOBS sends it to the agency’s application system where can submit your application. The agency may ask you to complete other agency-specific steps such filling out an online questionnaire or uploading additional documents. Once your application has been submitted, you can check its status anytime by accessing your USAJOBS account. If You Have a Disability   Persons with disabilities can learn about alternate methods of applying for federal jobs by calling the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at 703-724-1850. If you have a hearing disability, call TDD 978-461-8404. Both lines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Selective Service  Requirement If you are a male over age 18 who was born after December 31, 1959, you must have registered with the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be eligible for a federal job. What to Include with Your Application Although the federal government does not require a standard application form for most jobs, they do need certain information to evaluate your qualifications and determine if you meet legal requirements for federal employment. If your resume or application does not provide all the information requested in the job vacancy announcement, you may lose consideration for the job. Help speed the selection process by keeping your resume or application brief and by sending only the requested material. Type or print clearly in dark ink. In addition to specific information requested in the job vacancy announcement, your resume or application must contain: The job announcement number, and title and grade(s) of the job you are applying for. All of this information will be listed in the job announcement.Personal information:- Full name, mailing address (with ZIP Code) and day and evening phone numbers (with area code)- Social Security Number- Country of Citizenship (Most jobs require US citizenship.)- Veterans preference information- Reinstatement eligibility (If requested, attach form SF 50.)- Highest Federal civilian job grade held​ if any. (Also state job series and dates held.)Education:- High School (Schools name and address, Date of diploma or GED)- Colleges or universities (Schools name and address, Majors, Type and year of degrees, or credits and hours earned.)- Send a copy of your transcript only if the job announcement calls for it.Work experience:- Supply the following information for your paid and non-paid work experience related to the job you are applying for: (Do not include job descriptions.)Job title (include seri es and grade if federal job)Duties and accomplishmentsEmployers name and addressSupervisors name and phone numberStarting and ending dates (month and year)Hours worked per weekHighest salary earned- Indicate if the hiring agency may contact your current supervisor Other Job-Related Qualifications- Job-related training courses (title and year)- Job-related skills, for example, other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, machinery, typing speed- Job-related certificates and licenses (current only)- Job-related honors, awards and special accomplishments, for example, publications, memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership activities, public speaking, and performance awards (include dates, but do not send copies of documents unless requested.)