Freedom of Expression

 Notable framers of the Constitution, such as Jefferson and Madison, played a vital role in encapsulating the core values of freedom and free expression. I learned that Jefferson famously said, "The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak," which speaks to his belief that a well-educated population makes for a good democracy. I believe this still holds true, and Americans should be well-informed about laws, be able to express their opinions, and have a say in the laws that pass.

With the concept of freedom of speech came the “marketplace of ideas,” which essentially is the idea that with many opinions and perspectives, there will be a better way of making decisions. This is opposed to a dictatorship where few individuals are making laws and sharing ideas, and the people get no say whatsoever. The marketplace of ideas is essentially a “free trade” of ideas and concepts, which greatly benefits society.

I often think about democracy and how it has shaped me personally. I ponder whether I would have a different perspective if I were born in a country where the government controlled the people and our ideas were not heard. The statement that America is the best country on earth is often controversial, and it comes from the concept of our great democracy.

Who we choose to represent us in office is also a very important factor in having an educated population and a good democracy. The speech theory of participation in self-government emphasizes the candidates' ability to communicate effectively with the people and therefore, inform them. This is an important thing to consider when voting. It is in the people's power to elect these representatives, and we have a duty to be informed about them and choose those who will best represent us.

Promoting tolerance is a valuable theory. The idea that we are stronger as a society if we have tolerance for extreme speech and hate speech is important because it gives us the opportunity to think on a deeper level, evaluate our beliefs, and stand up for what is right. If we never heard upsetting speech, we would not have the ability to recognize things we truly find hurtful or wrong.

During presidential debates, candidates will criticize each other and say extreme things. The first presidential debate between Trump and Biden is a prime example of that. Through watching these debates, we as Americans can see who we agree with more, and that is how we form our opinions. This forming of opinions makes us who we are, and we are fortunate to live in a country that allows us to have these opinions.

Freedom of expression comes in many different forms. Today, we have social media where we can express our political views, opinions, and religious beliefs, and we are able to peacefully protest. Social media is perhaps the most effective form of expression because we can get our opinions out to so many people across one platform in just minutes. Our social media profiles are also a reflection of who we are and how we choose to present ourselves.

History and Workings of the U.S. Supreme Court

 

The article "Supreme Court" on the History.com website aims to provide information about the U.S Supreme Court in a detailed yet simple way. I always knew a fair amount about the responsibilities  and purpose of the Supreme Court, but this article provided me with an in depth and structured amount of new information. 

From this article, I learned that the Supreme Court is that the chief justice is required to be on the board of Regents at the Smithsonian, as well as preside over the trials if a president is to be impeached. I was also not aware that Chief Justice John Marshall served the longest of any in history, for 34 years. 

My most important take away learning about the Supreme Court is understanding how vast the responsibilities are. They do everything from jurisdiction over laws, evaluating constitutionality of laws, and checking the actions of the other two branches of law. 

The most surprising thing I learned is that not much has changed since 1789 when the Supreme Court was established. Rules and laws have been overturned however, the system stayed in tact and invincible able and has worked out for America flawlessly. I also did not know (but should have known) that George Washington made it so there were six Supreme Court Justices. 

This article made me appreciate the diligence and sovereignty of the Supreme Court. I like how it was manufactured and not changed in its structure. To me that makes it seem all the more dependable and a trustworthy system. 

My Top Five Sources of News and Information

The New York Times - The New York Times is a popular news source that is considered very reliable. I utilize The New York Times for academic reasons as well as scrolling through the top stories on the home page. The website also includes short videos now from “the people's” perspectives. I value The New York Times because of its diverse opinions and extensive information on every topic.

CNN - I use CNN as a news outlet to get the opposite opinion of Fox News. I use these simultaneously because I have always been taught that it is more educational to see two opposite opinions in order to form your own. I also like the way CNN's website is formatted; they have a live broadcast, breaking news, and regular news articles.

Fox News - Fox is one of my favorite places to get news because of segments such as The Five, Jesse Watters, and Fox and Friends. These segments make watching the news fun because they have a little bit of drama, arguments, and jokes mixed in with the news. It is much less "buttoned up" and easier to watch, in my opinion.

Podcasts - I get a lot of my information about health and nutrition and world news through podcasts. I am also a sucker for true crime podcasts. One of my all-time favorite podcasts is “Serial,” narrated by journalist Sarah Koenig.

Serial follows true crime cases in an unbiased format, allowing you to form your own opinion of the case. I also love the podcast “Fitness Confidential,” a nutrition podcast with Vinny Tortorich, an ex-doctor turned nutritionist.

TikTok - As cliché as it may sound, TikTok is actually a great place to get all kinds of news and different kinds of information. TikTok accounts associated with news outlets post stories daily, as does pop culture entertainment news. The only thing to be careful about is the rise of fake news on this platform. It is always important to fact-check all information on TikTok because it is unfiltered, and people can post and say whatever (for the most part).