Dec. 15, 2011 will be the 220th birthday of the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights, but you won’t see commemorative events in America’s schools or flags flying on Main Street. In sharp contrast to Independence Day, our nation largely overlooks the importance of the ratification of our most fundamental freedoms. American society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) and its partners in the “1 for All” First Amendment campaign are trying to do something about that.
The campaign is launching an innovative promotion called “Free to Tweet,” to encourage young people to celebrate the First Amendment on that date. Students who tweet about the First Amendment will be eligible to win one of 22 $5,000 scholarships, funded by the Knight Foundation.