The article Portland bans discrimination against atheists, other nonbelievers is related to the important topic of religion. The author states that the City Council amended the existing Civil Rights code to ensure that there is an appropriate level of protection for all members of the community including those who determine themselves as atheists or religiously unaffiliated (Simmons, 2019). The central reason for the alteration of the document was the absence of a legal framework to ensure the existence of similar opportunities for representatives of all religions and people who have other perspectives on this issue.
The given paper is directly related to the Bill of Rights as the document states that no citizen should be discriminated or provided with some penalties because of their religion (Bill of Rights, 1791). At the same time, atheism is another dimension of religion which means that the rights of people who adhere to this idea should also be protected. In such a way, the paper presents the case when the Bill of Rights is observed; moreover, new better conditions in accordance with the basic assumptions of this document are introduced for people to enjoy the improved quality of life.
Freedom of speech is another important concern of contemporary society. The article Foundation wins campus free speech settlement against UC Berkeley is also devoted to the given aspect as it describes the case of the struggle for people’s rights on campus. The central idea was to provide conservative speakers with the same freedoms that are available to other individuals to ensure that such major notions as democracy, equality, and tolerance are protected and cultivated (Fredericson, 2018).
Due to the foundation’s efforts, the speaking engagements will be provided fairly to all individuals. This statement correlates with the Bill of Rights which outlines the idea of the freedom of speech as one of the basics of the US society.
Analyzing the given situation, one can state that the major assumptions of the Bill have been observed. The dangerous precedent that contributed to the rise of discrimination was reconsidered using the existing legislation to guarantee that there are the equal opportunities for all speakers regarding of their background, ideas, and views, which is critical for the further evolution of society and its becoming a democratic one.
Finally, the last of the selected articles discusses the freedom of the press in the Western world. The paper states that today individuals can observe the most complex situation since the Cold War (Press freedom “fragile” in Europe, n.d.).
For instance, the number of threats, verbal abuse, and violent actions grows significantly which evidences the existence of problems in the given sphere. Journalists lose their opportunities to speak freely and outline the most nagging issues. A similar situation can also be observed in the USA. Thus, this issue can be analyzed regarding the Bill of Rights stating that all people should be provided with an opportunity to publish their works because of the existing freedom of the press (Bill of Rights, 1791).
Under these conditions, there is a rude violation of the ideas presented by the document. First of all, the free press is the guarantee of the diversity in opinions and the absence of some dominating perspective that is supported by powerful agencies. The current situation in Europe can be described as a dangerous one because of the tendency towards the further deterioration and emergence of new limits for journalists.
References
Bill of Rights of the United States of America. (1791). Web.
Fredericson, C. (2018). Foundation wins campus free speech settlement against UC Berkeley. The Epoch Times. Web.
Press freedom “fragile” in Europe, says new report. (2019). The National. Web.
Simmons, T. (2019). Portland bans discrimination against atheists, other nonbelievers. Religion News. Web.