“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or restrict 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. (U.S. Constitution Amendment I, sec. I)[EXPLAIN] The most commonly debated part of the First Amendment is free speech, which protects citizens from government censorship. The First Amendment guarantees that people have the right to criticize the government without fear of legal challenge. Freedom of speech was severely restricted in the 17th century, with legislators able to pass blasphemy laws, some of which carried the death penalty. Our freedom of speech is not unconditional. There are very few cases where the government actually steps in and bans free speech, particularly because of the harm clause. The harm clause has been used in recent years to prevent any hate speech that might directly implicate a group or class of people