The United States Constitution and Bill of Rights grant each citizen a variety of rights.
These rights include freedom of speech and religion, the right to free assembly, and the right to bear arms.
All residents of the United States enjoy a range of other fundamental rights as well.
The First Amendment protects the right to criticize the government. It also allows people to write to their government to request action on their complaints.
The Second Amendment protects the right to own weapons for self-defense.
This right applies to US citizens as well as people living abroad who haven't finished the naturalization process.
However, different courts have differing opinions regarding the scope of the Second Amendment.
The Bill of Rights protects freedom of religion. Individual freedoms are essential to a democracy, which is based on voting and majority decision-making.
Thomas Jefferson, the founder of the United States, emphasized individual rights and the freedom of religion as the cornerstones of American liberty.