Ive started writing this speech so many times Ive lost count.

Every time I start writing it I think about another reason the constitution is important to me. Ive come to realize everything about the constitution is important. The constitution outlines a system of checks and balances that guarantee no part of the government will ever be allowed too much power. When the constitution was written this was the first government of its kind. It was a new kind of government made for the people. The federalists who wrote the constitution thought of just about everything to guarantee the peoples basic freedoms were protected The constitution is what makes America, America the home of the free. Its what guarantees us as American citizens our freedoms. Its the rulebook American citizens live by. Its like the 10 commandments, or the school handbook. There have been rules throughout history that have governed the way civilizations have lived. For example, the nation of Israel lived by the 10 commandments. Almost everywhere you go there are rules. For example there are rules at school, at the pool, and at work. Every country has some kind of rules that govern the way they live and let the citizens know what is acceptable. The constitution is another example of a set of rules but it is also oh so much more. Freedom of speech is an example of something the constitution allows us that many countries rules do not allow. American citizens often times take this right for granted as many of them have never experienced life without it. This is a very important right to me as an actress, a speaker, and a musician. By not limiting what I can say I am allowed to express myself through lyrics, my acting, and the speeches I give in forensics and also in other speaking situations like right now. If I wasnt allowed freedom of speech, I most likely wouldnt be here talking to you. Throughout history freedom of speech has been extremely important to America. If freedom of speech had not been allowed Martin Luther King Jr. wouldnt have been able to give his I Have a Dream

Speech which was considered radical by many at the time. If he hadnt been able to give this speech on civil rights our country may have been a very different country from the one it is today. The equality of people in the United States is something else that sets it apart from other countries. Not discriminating against people based on their race. The United States is known and seen as a safe haven for immigrants whose country is in turmoil and those seeking a country that allows freedoms their current country does not. As immigrants continue to flock into the United States we become more of a melting pot. If we were to discriminate against people based on their race we would no longer be seen as the safe haven these people need. We would no longer be a truly free country. Our citizens would no longer be equal which is something on which America strongly prides itself. My daily life would be drastically changed as well. Many of my friends are multi- racial and if America was discriminatory I probably wouldnt be able to be friends with them anymore. America also does not discriminate based on gender. Men and women are guaranteed the same rights. Women fought for this basic right throughout American history until they finally achieved their goal. Before this women were seen as property or belongings of their husbands. Sadly in many countries this how they are still seen.

When fighting for womens equality Margaret Fuller said, Were thought and feeling once so far elevated that Man should esteem himself the brother and friend, but nowise the lord and tutor, of Woman, - were he really bound with her in equal worship, - arrangements as to function and employment would be of no consequence. What woman needs is not as a woman to act or rule, but as a nature to grow, as an intellect to discern, as a soul to live freely and unimpeded, to unfold such powers as were given her when we left

our common home. If fewer talents were given her, yet if allowed the free and full employment of these, so that she may render back to the giver his own with usury, she will not complain; nay, I dare to say she will bless and rejoice in her earthly birthplace, her earthly lot.

Basically Fuller is saying that women too are people that have talents to use, and a brain to use, and a soul that needs to be allowed to be free. Many women now take their freedom for granted which is extremely sad when you hear all the stories of women being mistreated in other nations.

The study by a multi-institutional team led by Anita Raj, professor of community health sciences at BUSPH -- published online this month in the Maternal and Child Health Journal -- found that more than one in four women study participants in the low-income Mumbai community reported violence or other forms of maltreatment from in-laws during pregnancy or after giving birth. Such abuse, which ranged from denial of food to impeded access to medical care, was significantly more likely among women who also experienced violence from their husbands, the study found. Women are not just mistreated but also discriminated against. Women continue to face legal and political discrimination in Iran. For example, a woman's testimony is worth half that of a man in court, and women have unequal divorce and inheritance rights. In the 2005 election, Iran's Council of Guardians rejected all the women who applied for candidacy. This is something American women obviously dont realize. Some American women dont even know what womens suffrage is. I remember hearing a story a while back about a man who was having people sign a petition to end womens suffrage. Women were coming and gladly signing the petition because they didnt know what womens suffrage was. It didnt sound like a pleasant thing so they continued to sign it until someone informed them of what they were really signing.

If it werent for womens rights in my life I probably wouldnt be able to do the most of the things I do in my daily life. I wouldnt be able to go to school, or go to college like I am planning on doing. I wouldnt be able to play tennis or participate in swim team. I wouldnt be allowed to give speeches on my opinion. I would be looked down upon for performing music and acting. And I wouldnt be allowed to have a job. My life would be nothing like the way it is today. I am extremely thankful this is no longer the case. Freedom of religion is another major freedom in America. Its the main reason the pilgrims came to America in the first place. Its a reason many of the immigrants today come to America as well. This is a huge one for me as well. Religion is a very important factor in my life. I went to a Christian school up until high school and faith has helped me through countless situations. I dont know how I would have made it this far without it. When I was 13 my mom found out unexpectedly that she was pregnant with the little sister I had so badly wanted. Everything was going fine and she almost to the second trimester. She went in for an ultrasound and found out that my little sister had died. She then started to bleed profusely as she miscarried. She continued to bleed for 2 weeks until the doctor finally forced her to go in and have the placenta removed. She had lost 15 pounds of blood. This was a very scary and extremely sad time for me. Without my faith I dont know how I would have gotten through it. I just trusted everything to God. That was the only way I could go on with my life. About a year later my dad had a massive heart attack. He died twice but they managed to bring him back and then rush him to surgery. He survived but the doctor who performed the operation said he should have been dead. Its a miracle that he is alive. I used my faith to get through this time in my life too. I trusted God to do what was best for me.

I will never take freedom of religion for granted as it has been so important in my life. I know that many do and wish they would realize what a privilege it really is. Basically American citizens are extremely privileged because of the rights set out for us in the constitution. We are given so many rights that people in many countries can only dream about. We are given freedom of speech, freedom of religion, we are not discriminated against based on gender or race, and we have a government that cares about our opinions. I hope that everyone now realizes just how important the constitution really is. Without it we would have none of these things which make America what it is. NEVER take it for granted.