In America, where human rights are sacred and no one is above the law, it is hard to believe that in other countries these basic rights are nonexistent. The Constitution protects freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The Puritans came to America looking for peace and freedom to worship. It is hard to believe that there are many countries in our modern world where there is no freedom of speech or freedom of religion, just like it used to be in the 17^th century. The world has made progress regarding human rights, yet many countries refuse to join in.