Option 2: The Bill of Rights is not only included with the United States Constitution but also state constitutions. All states have provisions in their constitutions that protect individual rights. Go online and look up your state constitution concerning amendments that are included in the Bill of Rights. How does your state constitution protect your individual rights? The NJ state constitution protects my individual rights by including the Bill of Rights in their constitution. The NJ state constitution includes the first amendment addressing freedom of speech and religion in its first article. I believe the NJ state constitution provided more detail on the meaning of freedom of speech and religious rights than the Bill of Rights. The NJ state constitution explained there is no racial or religious qualification for public trust or office and that one religion is not more valuable than another (NJ State Constitution, 1947). I feel this provides more details to the citizens of NJ of the meaning of the First Amendment and protects citizens' individual rights. Our textbook explained how over time civil liberties have changed and how "...many of the freedoms we expect today are not explicitly spelled out there" (Greenberg & Page, 2018, p. 432). The NJ State Constitution does have out-of-date provisions listed such as allowing the death penalty in certain circumstances (NJ currently does not allow the death penalty), while the Bill of Rights does not address the death penalty (The Bill of Rights, 1791; NJ State Constitution, 1947). Understanding that state constitutions. protect individual rights is essential. The article, "State Constitutional Law: The Future of Abortion Rights?" explained how "....advocates can use state constitutions to protect abortion rights in the absence of federal protections" (Wittbrod, 2023, p. 581). Being aware of our own state's constitution can protect citizens (abortion rights being an example). My state (NJ) protects my rights but providing more details about the First Amendment. References: The Bill of Rights. (1791). National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/files/legislative/resources/education/bill-of-rights/images/handout- 1. SLIMMsary