The founding fathers of the United States established a series of laws that protected the rights of the individual against the power of an ever-expanding government. These laws, collectively known as the Constitution, protected future Americans from the encroaching and tyrannical governments of the 18th century. More than two hundred years later, the Constitution is more vital than ever to protect the rights of every American against the government we, the people, elect. The First Amendment to the Constitution protects people's rights of expression. Expression which, in the colonies under British control, could have led to an execution. Throughout U.S. history, laws have been passed to limit these rights, but through the power of the Supreme Court, these principles have remained intact. It could be said that Thomas Jefferson was obsessed with the principles of free speech and freedom of religion. He had already implemented these principles in Virginia's constitution, and he was the persuading founding father to propose a Bill of Rights. Designing the First Amendment would become Jefferson's top priority. The amendment in its entirety reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or pure speech is strongly protected from governmental regulation. Speech-plus includes actions and words. Common examples include demonstrations and protests. Speech-plus does not receive the same protection as pure speech, as actions can cause physical harm. Speech-plus is legal as long as participants do not obstruct traffic. , do not endanger the public or constitute an unlawful trespass. Symbolic speech generally does not involve verbal speech. This includes actions such as flag burning. of speech is highly controversial and has been argued in notable cases such as Texas v..