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Blackbird Review
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The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees Americans freedom of speech, press, assembly, petition, and religion. It permits us, as
an American nation, to express ourselves openly, whether in a group or individually, and allows us to support our beliefs. These freedoms are portrayed everyday, such as your viewing of an advertise- ment inviting you to support a political campaign. While these freedoms, which make our country so unique, are acknowledged and praised by so many of us, we cannot forget that there are countries in this world that do not guarantee their citizens free- dom. In North Korea, under the opressive rule of Kim Jong-il, North Koreans are refused the right to vote for any other party than the Korean Workers’ Party, and the government controls every aspect of the North Koreans’ lives. Criticism of the govern- ment is strictly forbidden and is punishable by death. In the Darfur region of Sudan, under the autocratic rule of Omar al-Bashir, Sudanese people are be-
ing murdered everyday under the direct orders of
the government. At least 200,000 people have been slaughtered in the last four years in Sudan.
We must stop these atrocities from ocurring. This can be achieved by donating to the United Na- tions Human Rights Council or the American Red Cross.
The Constitution
by Jason Katz