Blog #3: Eight Values of Free Expression

    As American citizens we are aware that we have the right to speak up issues that we feel passionate about no matter our point of view. Through the first amendment we have the freedom of religion, freedom from religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly and the right to petition the government. This amendment ensures that the government is not in complete control of our country and emphasizes that we the people, are the ones with power. I could not imagine a world where we are unable to voice our concerns with the government or our personal opinions that the government may disagree with.

    The eight values of free expression emphasize its importance to American democracy and our society. The marketplace of ideas suggests that though people may produce false information, that is okay because in the end the truth will outweigh the falsehood and the dispute will ultimately strengthen the truth. Participation in self government allows citizens to disclose information that may not be known by the public, to help ensure voters are informed on information they may need to know when voting. Stable change gives people a peaceful way to express difference in opinion, reducing the risk of violent uproar. Independent Self-Fulfillment allows citizens to use free speech to express themselves and build a sense of personal growth and self identity. Check on Government Power ensures the public is allowed to criticize the government and hold them accountable. Promote Tolerance encourages multiple viewpoints to be known, promoting open minded decisions. Promote Innovation contributes to intellectual and cultural growth. Through protected free speech people are more likely to be more innovative, active and intriguing. Protect Dissent allows those whose viewpoint are the minority to speak up and be able to have their voices heard, without discrimination.

    In my opinion, the most important value is Check on government power, because it ensures that the government doesn't abuse their power and allows citizens to make sure their representatives are voicing them in a correct manner. As elected government employees, they are put into office in voice their district, county, state or countries viewpoints.

  However, the value that is most personal to me is Stable change. As an African American Woman, discrimination against African American is something that I take very serious. Stable Change has allowed my community to voice their disapproval or discomfort with racial discrimination that happens in our country. In 2020, with the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the black community went into an uproar. Granted in some cases there was violent acts but for the most part  there were peaceful protests all over the country.

    One value that I see being used today is Participation in Self-Government. During the current election you see a lot of people disclosing information about both candidates to better help voters understand the candidates. Whether it be positive or negative. I think that Participation in Self-Government is a very important aspect during election season because candidates tend to leave information out if it would effect their possibilities of winning.

    These eight values are fundamental to our lives as citizens of a democracy. Through them, we as individuals are allowed to use our voices for whatever we want, emphasizing our first amendment rights, and establishing that we as people are not subject to follow any guidelines in terms of voicing our opinions.

    

    

Blog Post #2: Insight on our Nations Highest Court

"It is emphatically the province and duty of the Judicial department to say what the law is." - Marbury v. Madison (1808)

    This statement stands as a standard and staple for the United States Judicial System. The United States Supreme Court, the highest court in the nation, has final jurisdiction over all federal cases . The soul purpose of the Supreme Court is to ensure that the constitution continues to be respected and interpreted correctly.

     The beginning of real Judicial power began in 1801, when the Supreme Court deemed an act of Congress unconstitutional, under Chief Justice John Marshall. Marshall truly paved the way for the Judicial Branch as we know it today, asserting that "We must never forget that it is a constitution we are expounding." In simple terms, Marshall established that the duty of the Judicial Branch is to interpret the constitution to the best of their abilities and deem what is lawful or unlawful.

    In this video, I learned that the Supreme Court has a lot more work than the American public is made aware of.  Having the responsibility to review thousands of cases a year, hundreds a week, and deem whether it follows a constitution written over 200 years ago is an incredible task. As said by the justices in the video, having to interpret a document written over 200 yeas ago is both a blessing and a curse. On a good note, having 200 years of American history to go off of, allows current Justices to have record of times when the constitution stood strong, or needed to be adjusted, such as the addition of the bill of rights, the 14th amendment and the 19th amendment. 

    A significant fact I took from this video was the case of Dred Scott. I was completely unaware that in as early as about 1825 there were movements to abolish slavery. I definitely didn't know that it was the Judicial system that was responsible for the continuation of such inhumane circumstances. One would think that Chief Justice Rodger Brook Tony, as the head of our nations Judicial system would be the main one to deem slavery cruel and unconstitutional. I understand that during this time period slavery was a vast operation and was utilized by majority of the United States and even the world, but if you look at it from a modern point of view, slavery was nothing short of heinous. When looking at our current Supreme court Justices, without the amendments of our constitution only four out of the nine would still be in their roles. This goes to show how we have grown and how much our country has learned over the span of 200 years.

    As someone who looks to expand my knowledge in the world of law, these videos were very insightful on how our Judicial system was formed, grown, and how it continues to grow with our country today. My respect and gratitude goes out to all Supreme Court Justices that have served our country, because had it not been for them, our country as we know it would be in shambles. In my eyes, the Judicial branch of our federal government is the most important branch. I believe this because the court ensures that our government does not break away from the core values and ideologies that our founding fathers put in place to build the glorious country we know and love today. 

Top 5 Sources of Daily News

 

    As young adults finding our way in the world, it is extremely important to stay up to date with the latest news, locally, nationally, and internationally. With the growth of the mass media world, it is significantly easier for our generation to access our daily news. People all around the world now look to social media, television, magazines, newspapers and other sources to give them the most accurate and relevant news. Personally, I find my self using various social media apps, TV stations, and my peers to keep up with everything going on in the world.

    Friends and Family, like most people I hear a lot of new information from those around me. My parents are usually pretty up to date with everything going on in the world of politics and stocks, so tend to look to them for insight and knowledge in those realms. More recently, now that I am old enough to form my own opinions and establish my point of view on various events going on in the world, I like to have informed discussions with my family and friends about politics, sports, celebrity news, and a multitude of topics. This allows me to learn new things and have the opportunity to educate my peers on topics I am more versed in. More so with my friends, I love to create a sense of humor around trending celebrity news or ever political news, it lightens the stresses that the situation may bring in reality. With that being said, it brings me to my next source of news.... 

    Tiktok. As many know Tiktok is a lot more than just trendy dances and "dumb videos", as my dad would say. Tiktok has become a huge outlet for sports teams, broadcasting companies, clothing brands and independent influencers. As an avid Tiktok supporter, I use Tiktok as a way to watch funny videos, learn new recipes, keep up with politics, and so many more things. Tiktok gives companies a platform to share information in a quick, entertaining and creative way that difference than a simple instagram post. I believe that if companies want traction in Gen Z, Tiktok would be the place to advertise their organization. Personally, I use tiktok for an average of about 10 hours a week, though this may seem like a lot, I feel as though I learn a large amount of information of this app and plan to continue to use it as long as I am able.

https://www.tiktok.com/en/

    While on the in world of social media, my second most used app behind Tiktok, is Instagram. Just as said before I use this platform is a great way to target Gen Z. I generally use Instagram to keep up with family and friends who may not live near me, stay in the know on new trends and celebrity drama, stay in the loop on sports news and again learn about things that are taking place in politics. Accounts like 'TheShadeRoom', 'Overtime', and 'XXL' are great resources for getting accurate news in their respected industries. In more recent years, instagram has made several changes to the layout of the app, allowing for more efficient ways for users to get their message across in an intriguing way. I find apps like Instagram and Tiktok a lot more convenient that sitting in front of a TV, or reading the newspaper, due to the fact that my phone is typically always on my person.

https://www.instagram.com/

    Although I typically don't have time to sit and turn on the news while I am at school, while home MSNBC is my household choice network. Growing up, MSNBC was always on the TV every morning for as long as I can remember, granted I never watched it, but I have always been familiar with the network. As I got older, and the need for me to be informed became increasingly more important, I appreciate how MSNBC has transformed into a more appealing channel for viewers my age. I also really enjoy listening to anchors such as Joy Reid and Ari Melber. I believe they do a great job targeting younger audiences including myself.

https://www.msnbc.com/

    As someone who grew up playing multiple sports and plans on working in the sports industry, being informed on things happening in the sports world is something that I deem important for myself. Bleacher Report is a great resource for everything sports. I receive information from them via Instagram, Tiktok, and their BR app. I find that Bleacher Report distributes sports news faster than a lot of other competitor companies. Although I turn to companies such as ESPN to watch sports, Bleacher report offers everthing else from breaking news,  live podcasts with sports experts, game scores, sports betting and so much more. 

https://bleacherreport.com/