Happy 225th, Bill of Rights

Today is the 225th birthday of the Bill of Rights, the portion of the Constitution that guarantees individual rights.

Consisting of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, it was ratified on Dec. 15, 1791, by Virginia, the 10th of 14 states in the union at the time, giving the required two-thirds majority.

You can’t go far in Northern Nevada without spotting a bumper sticker in support of the second amendment, but we’re partial to the first, here.

The five rights guaranteed by this uni-tasker of amendments include freedom of speech, assembly, to petition the government, religion and of the press.

It’s the amendment that allows those who are passionate about the other amendments to express their opinions without fear of official retribution.

Over the last two and a quarter centuries, there have been a lot of arguments over what freedoms the amendments actually protect. We’re quite happy to let those rage on in the courts and other forums.

The Bill of Rights was written by James Madison in answer to arguments the Constitution should do more to protect individuals from the government.

That’s what makes it such an amazing document.

Those in power at the time saw the need to ensure those who weren’t could be protected from actions taken by the government.