To clarify, 1st protects you from the Federal Government only... under incorporation (via the 14th) do you get protection from state/local.

Just sayin'

Yes, the 14th has been interpreted over time to essentially apply the entire bill of rights and all amendments to state and local governments (as I understand it).

The first amendement protect your right to free speech. In most cases it does not protect you from possible consequence of said speech. I.e. Your employer.

It doesn't protect all speech. Even free speech has limits

...but the 1st is the path to protecting all of the other amendments.

That's the 2nd.

Bear Arms for everybody!

Why is there any confuzzle? Get lippy on APC and see what happens..:eek:

The first is the most important.

The second ensures that we get to keep the first.

Except that they were originally the third and fourth respectively... 12 amendments we're pushed out of committee as the BoR. Only ten were ratified.

Of those two, the first was never ratified, and the second became the 27th amendment in the mid-90s.

But to the point of primacy, the first had to do with the manner in which the number of representatives was calculated, and the second prohibited Representatives from giving themselves a pay raise until after an election has occurred. So before speech/arms, you can see how much the Framers really wanted to keep Congress in check.