To all Americans, another basic (36)______ in their constitution is the Bill of rights, adopted in 1971. This consists of 10 ver

To all Americans, another basic foundation in their constitution is the Bill of rights, adopted in 1971. This consists of 10 very short paragraphs which guarantee freedom and individual rights and forbid interference with lives of individuals by the government. Each paragraph is an Amendment to the original Constitution.
    The Bill of Rights guarantees Americans the right to a speedy trial if accused of a crime. The trial must be by a jury and then the accused person must be allowed representation by a lawyer and must be able to call in witness to speak for him or her. Cruel and unusual punishment is forbidden.
    In the bill of Rights, Americans are guaranteed freedom of religion, of speech and of the press. They have the right to assemble in public places, to protest government actions and to demand change. They have the right to own weapons if they wish. Because of the Bill of Rights, nether police nor soldiers can stop and search a person without good reason. They also cannot search a person’s home without legal permission from a court.
    There were 16 other amendments to the Constitution as of 1991. The changes are not many considering that the constitution was written in 1787. Only a few need to be mentioned here. One forbids slavery and three others guarantee citizenship and full rights of citizenship to all people regardless of race. Another gives women the rights to vote and another lowered the national voting age to 18 years.