Russ Feingold: “I thank the Senator for his tremendous leadership in opposition to this constitutional amendment. I thank him for his…”

“I thank the Senator for his tremendous leadership in opposition to this constitutional amendment. I thank him for his leadership on this whole issue. the bill of rights and freedom of expression Honoring the flag demands that we consider carefully the history of the Bill of Rights before we choose to alter it. Many of our Founders sought a Bill of Rights because, in their view, the Constitution failed properly to consider and protect the basic and fundamental rights of individuals. Although many Federalists, including James Madison, felt that the limited powers conferred on the government by the Constitution were sufficiently narrow so as to leave those rights unquestioned, the Bill of Rights was adopted in order to provide reluctant states with the assurances necessary for approval of the Constitution. From this beginning in compromise 209 years ago, the Bill of Rights has evolved into the single greatest protector of individual freedom in history. It has done so, in large measure, because attempts to narrow it have, to date, been rejected. It was fundamental to the founding of this Nation that individuals should be free to express themselves, secure in the knowledge that government will not suppress their expression because of its content. Our Nation's Founders created this new country to escape oppression at the hands of the state. They firmly believed that government should not limit one's ability to speak out.…”