The Founding Fathers of the United States put in place a series of laws that protect the rights of the individual from the power of an ever-expanding government. These laws, collectively known as the Constitution, protected future Americans from the invasive and tyrannical governments of the eighteenth century. More than two hundred years later, the Constitution is more vital than ever in protecting the rights of every American from the government we, the people, elect. The First Amendment to the Constitution protects people's rights of expression. An expression that in the colonies controlled by the English could have led to execution. Throughout the history of the United States, laws have been passed that limit these rights, but through the power of the Supreme Court these principles have remained intact. It could be said that Thomas Jefferson was obsessed with the principles of freedom of speech and religion. He had already implemented these principles in the Virginia Constitution, and it was the Founding Father who he persuaded to propose a Bill of Rights. The conception of the First Amendment would become Jefferson's top priority. The amendment in its entirety reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or a religious institution. Pure speech is strongly protected by government regulation. Speech-plus includes actions and words. Examples common include demonstrations and protests. Speech-plus does not" receive the same protection as pure speech because the actions can cause physical harm. Speech-plus is legal as long as participants do not obstruct traffic, endanger the public, or trespass illegally. Certain forms of expression have been established, including actions such as flag burning. This form of speech is highly controversial and has been discussed in notable cases such as Texas v.