I think one of the most misunderstood parts of the constitution is the right to free speech.
I believe that, when the constitution was written, the framers did not envision a world where people would actually utter seditious thoughts against the government. Indeed, their every entreaty with the Mother Country prior to the revolution were well written, well thought out diatribes which took great care to consider the station and position of King George and his men; and they took great efforts not to offend in such missives. One could call the revolution a case of misunderstanding, as King George clearly did not see the amicable attempts at resolution clearly present in the writings of the founding fathers.
As such, the implications of the first amendment are obvious: any disagreement with the government or another individual must be respectful, and must not contain a hint of revolutionary thought or zeal. The founding fathers clearly felt we were to be servile to the state and that immediate and swift reaction to any speech that uttered a position opposing such a condition was essential to the preservation of a democracy. Free speech was meant primarily for the government, under controlled, supervised conditions; it was not intended for the citizenry.
signing off,
Gideon MacLeish