John Micklos Jr. - Understanding Your Legal Rights

The National Anthem is often played at the beginning of sporting events. Players as well as Colin Kaepernick chose not to stand when the anthem was played. He said he was protesting the unfair treatment of African-Americans in the U.S. Although his actions upset some people, his right to protest was protected against government penalties.

Eli Harold (left), Colin Kaepernick (center), and Eric Reid (right) kneeled during the National Anthem before a football game on September 25, 2016.

On January 21, 2017, people of all races and ages took part in the Womens March, which supported womens rights. Some carried signs. Others chanted as they walked. They marched in Washington, D.C., and many other cities around the U.S. and worldwide. Thousands of kids also took part. The Womens March drew nearly 5 million protesters throughout the nation and around the world.

In 2003 as many as 10 to 15 million people marched in cities across the world to protest the war in Iraq.

According to the Constitution, people are allowed to gather and march publicly to support or protest issues. Marches show the power of people working together for a cause. The voices of thousands or millions of people carry a lot of weight. These marches and protests are legal as long as they remain peaceful.

Sometimes kids march with their parents. In the 1960s many children took part in marches. These marches supported equal rights for African-Americans in the U.S. A few years later, some children took part in marches to end the Vietnam War.

The First Amendment gives people the freedom to believe in any religion they wish. The government cannot tell us what we should or should not believe. The Constitution created a separation of church and state. This means the U.S. government cannot require or favor any one religion. Today public schools and government offices often avoid celebrating religious events so no one feels excluded.

Religion and Schools

Schools and school events cant sponsor prayers. However, religious student clubs may meet before and after school to pray. Because they are not run by the government, private and religious schools do not have the same rules about religion. They can celebrate religious practices however they wish.

Some days you may not feel like going to school. But going to school was not always an option for kids. Until the early 1900s, many children in the United States did not go to school. Often kids younger than 10 years old had to work full time. Child workers earned low wages. Some had to work in factories, fields, or mines. Many suffered serious injuries and some were killed because of dangerous working conditions.

In 1938 Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act. The act included a set of child labor laws. These laws limited the number of hours that children could work. It outlawed working conditions that were dangerous to children.

Today kids cant work in most jobs until they are 16 years old. From age 16 to the day they turn 18, they may work only limited hours.