Blog Post 3

The Eight Values of Free Expression

    The eight values of expression are the marketplace of ideas, participation in self-government, stable change, individual self-fulfillment, check on governmental power, promotion of tolerance, promotion of innovation, and protection of dissent.  Of those eight values, promotion of innovation is the one that is most interesting to me.  The freedom of speech, which as we know is one of the principles found in the First Amendment, has 8 core values of free expression. The marketplace of ideas is this observation that John Milton had considering if the truth and lies where to be freely grappled (engaged in a close fight), than the truth would always win. This peaks my interest because we know God's principles that can be found in the bible are the truth. Milton is saying that the truth will always defeat the lies that might be formed by the world. 

    The participation in self-government explains how we, the people of the United States, use the opinions of those in influential positions to make informed decisions. Most citizens believe they should be allowed to speak their mind with little to no interference from government.  One of the purposes of the participation in self-government value is the protection of all kinds of speech and opnions to properly inform elections.  In the monumental Bradenburg v Ohio case (1969)  the Supreme Court ruled that a Ku Klux Klansmen's speech was inflammatory and provoking violence.  Having protections like self-government can regulate some of these actions.  Alexander Meiklejohn explained how free speech and its relation to self government is absolutely vital. Stable change is the practice of allowing citizens to speak freely to keep them in a more peaceful state. This allows people to not store things up and out of an impulsive decision, act in a manner of violence. This goes hand in hand with our first amendment right for the people to peaceably assemble. The ability to possess individual self-fulfillment is the action in which we are able to have our own identities where we can live by specific principles that make us who we are. 

    Moving on to the 5th value of free expression, the ability to check on government power. It is not our right, but our duty as U.S. citizens to be a part of the checks-and-balance system to keep the government from becoming too powerful. Along with the press, citizens do not want any form of dictatorship, that is why this is a free country. 

    Promoting tolerance goes hand in hand with how the first amendment now protects hate speech because our nation has the ability to grow through painful situations especially regarding the relationships around us. Promoting tolerance regarding hate speech helps us become more accepting of others regardless of their life choices, which means we are growing as a nation. The 7th value of expression is the promotion of innovation. This value envisions the idea that if we are a nation that practices the freedom of speech, then we will more likely to be free enough to come up with new ideas and receive more energy and self motivation to be innovative. 

    Protect dissent is the last value of expression which explains how we have not the right, but the duty to criticize and disagree with the government. This shows that the government wants all citizens to experience freedom unlike any other nation, and actually encourages us to do quite the opposite of other countries that possess a dictating government. 

    I believe that the 8 values of free expression are very important because they highlight the  meaning of the first amendment. Marketplace of ideas seems to be the most import value to me because people can take advantage of freedom when they start re-identifying what the truth is. The truth will always rise to the top and it is hard to determine where we draw the line.  There will always be truths and falsehoods to figure out in our country.

Blog Post 2

History of the United States Supreme Court

    

    My prior knowledge about the United States Supreme Court is limited; but after researching, I feel equipped to have a conversation about its history and purpose.  This video and other resources expanded my knowledge base a great deal. I gained a lot of new structured information about the responsibilities of the Supreme Court and the different roles to make sure the justice system is effective.  The US Supreme Court is the highest court in the federal judiciary and was led by Caucasian men for years until the historic moment when Thurgood Marshall was confirmed as the first Black person to serve on the Supreme Court in August of 1967.

    One the main points of interest for me was learning about the multiple roles of the Chief Justice. There have only been 17 Chief Justices since 1789 compared to One of those duties includes serving  being on the Board of Regents, and to preside over trials if a President is threatened to be impeached. The longest serving Chief Justice is Chief Justice William Douglas, who served for 36 years.  Usually, their terms last about 13 - 15 years.  This person is also responsible for administering the Oath of Office to the President of the United States.The Chief Justice holds a great deal of power in this position including addressing budgeting concerns and leading the federal judicial branch.

    I believe one of the important points of interest I learned about the US Supreme Court is the amount of responsibility that those who serve have taken on for years. They perform a great deal of their work behind closed doors and meet weekly to make sure the laws are upheld. Sometimes, being a public servant is a job that is overlooked and can be exhausting.  Those who serve are passionate about their work and the idea of serving all citizens. 

    The most surprising thing I learned from this research is that there has been little change since its inception. Once this body was established in 1798, there has been little change regarding how they operate. To think that nothing has really changed in over 100 years ago is astonishing to me. I also think it is interesting that this judicial branch has been in existence for so long and has benefited the American government, in general.  Due to all of the decisions that must be made related to laws and different opinions and values, one would think there would be more division. 

    After completing research, I can appreciate what the United State Supreme Court does and its significance in our lives. There is a level of respect that is given to those who serve and have served on this judicial body because the decisions they render allow us to use our constitutional rights.  The US Supreme Court maintains order and has systems in place so American citizens rights are protected.  This governing body is expected to uphold the law above EVERYTHING.

Five Personal Sources Of News

When I was younger, my parents always told me to watch the news along with them. I always thought there were other ways of finding out whats going on in the world besides watching it live on tv, So I took to other methods. My knowledge on sources has expanded since then, as I have found multiple news sources that people like me use every day. 

Twitter/X

Every two days or so, I open twitter to see what is happening in the world. I believe it is a great way to keep up with current news whether it be politics, drama with celebrities, and so on. I enjoy using this because not only is it a news source, but it is also a place where I can see other opinions on topics such as those I already named. Although it is a helpful source, it is sometimes unreliable to trust whether the news is correct or not. With the amount of updates being added to twitter nowadays, it is easy to spot when somebody is spreading fake news/information. 

TikTok

TikTok is known for being a source of entertainment, however it still holds power to spread information about the world. Whether that information is true or not feels like a gamble, since it seems as if everyone likes to spread false information nowadays. I think one of the most unique parts of TikTok is how anyone can make an account and become a content creator. Although this is also a great source, it also has loads of misinformation on the website as well, and unlike twitter, you can't go to an article on the app to check if it's true or not.