Which Constitutional Rights Are You Thankful For?

On Thanksgiving, many families go around the table and say what they're thankful for. But few ever mention the legal rights that we are lucky to have in the United States.

It's easy to take for granted the freedoms we all have. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we asked fans of our FindLaw for Consumers Facebook page to tell us which Constitutional rights they're most grateful for.

While you get to enjoy many of these freedoms every day, the Facebook comments we received are a good reminder of how much we have to be thankful for when it comes to the legal system.

• Freedom of speech. When we posed this question to our Facebook followers, several emphatically responded "Freedom of speech!" The right to say what you want, even if it's to disagree with the government, is something that many people around the world don't have. Next time you criticize some politician or law, and we do it too, just make sure to say silent thanks for the right to do it.


• Right to vote. A few of our Facebook fans chose the 19th Amendment as the right they're most thankful for, and while we're glad women can vote, we're also happy that right is extended to all adults. While the Constitution doesn't affirmatively grant the right to vote, it prohibits denying that right based on race or gender, so long as the voter is over 18.


• Fourth Amendment. It's good to know we have the right to be secure in our homes against unreasonable search and seizure. That's especially true on a holiday that celebrates home, family, and friends.


• Ninth Amendment. We wouldn't have thought of this one, but a comment on our Facebook page reminded us that this oft-forgotten right is vital. It states that the rights in the Constitution are not a complete list, which makes room for more rights than are written down in the relatively short document.


• Freedom of the press. FindLaw certainly isn't a traditional newspaper, but we still enjoy the right to freedom of the press since we publish news and information every day. We're thankful to have the right to share our knowledge with you, and to help make the law accessible to our readers.

Is your favorite right not listed here? You can join the conversation on our Facebook page and send us a tweet. Happy Thanksgiving to you and family from all of us here at FindLaw.

Related Resources:

• Beware the Turkey Fryer and Other Thanksgiving Kitchen Hazards (FindLaw's Common Law)
• Don't Let a Thanksgiving DUI Ruin Your Holiday (FindLaw's Blotter)
• Thanksgiving Lawsuits Set the Table for Turkey Day Payback (FindLaw's Legally Weird)