Eight Values of Free Expression

Out of all the speech theories listed the one that stands out to me is number five which summarizes “Check on Governmental Power”. This is by far the most important of all when it comes to freedom of speech and we trace this all the way back to the beginning of America. 

The American people need the right to be able to stand up for themselves and challenge the government when they feel is necessary. This is a literal Founding Father's belief and the primary reason for leaving Great Britain during the American Revolution. America was created because those working in the 13 colonies were sick of the taxes and mistreatment from Britain, resulting in anger and emotions, causing the revolution. There was no way to speak back to the King because when they tried it was instantly shut down and people were punished, which led to the American Revolution. 

To prevent this from happening again, when America was created our founding fathers were sure that Freedom of Speech was the most important amendment to the constitution. We can see this as it is the 1st Amendment listed in the Bill of Rights. I see this as so important because not only has it had its impact in the past and has helped lead us to the free country we are today but it also has impacts in current events today. 

If you look at today's election, many different opinions and emotions are going on in the political world. Whether you're Republican or Democratic the anger for each other has no doubt risen. Although I think it's sad that there is anger towards each other, you cannot deny that it should be a right to vocalize your opinion of how the government should run and it would not be possible if it weren't for the first amendment. 

Along with this, the idea of Democracy's Watchdog has come to be. With the rise in Media beginning to sway public opinion one way or another, Democracy's Watchdogs are those journalists who are here to ensure that no matter what the government's power is exposed and furthermore keep the power in the hands of the people. 

In other words, if we weren't able to check on government power this country would be at risk of going against everything it was started for. The ideals of having the power in the hands of the people would be thrown out the window and the problems that would arise could be devastating. 

It is important not only for the journalists to continue their duty of voicing opinions but it is also for the people of America to do so as well. It is our right, and it is what helps to keep the government in check preventing past events from occurring again in our nation. 

This is why I believe that out of all the listed values of expression, the most important is the ability to  “Check on Governmental Power” using our First Amendment right of Freedom of Speech. 

The Supreme Court

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

In the two parts of The Founding Era & the Idea of America, I learned a lot about the Supreme Court and how it runs. Before watching this video I had very little knowledge about the Supreme Court. The only thing I knew was that it was the highest court of justice and it consisted of nine judges who could serve for the rest of their lives. 

After watching these videos I now understand that there is a lot more to the Supreme Court than I thought. To begin, the duty of these justices is far beyond committing then almost every job in the nation as every justice on the court can serve for the rest of their lives. Although this is an option, most only end up serving for an average of 16 years as the justices usually step down at that point. You can't blame them as they have to serve for a very long time before joining to even being recommended to be a part of the Supreme Court. Along with this, I learned about the roles of the court and the different positions that are held. On the Supreme Court, there is always one Chief Justice, and the rest are known as associate justices. The job of the chief justice is to oversee the court and be the one to determine whether certain cases are worth the Supreme Court level or need to be sent back down to gather more information. 

Along with learning many new things, I found one big takeaway that in my opinion is the most important out of everything. That is the fact that not all cases, in fact, most cases, are NOT worth the Supreme Court time. The Supreme Court is the highest of the high and its job isn't to handle trafficking tickets or even murders, it is to uphold what the Constitution states and only accept cases that earn the way to that level. For instance, if a case is deserving to go to the Supreme Court. It will never just automatically go right to them. It will start at the lower-level courts and slowly work its way up to them.

Overall, this video changed the way I looked at the Supreme Court entirely. Before watching this video when I would think about the Supreme Court, I would think about Checks and Balances and how they decide whether something is constitutional or unconstitutional. As bad as that sounds, it is what most Americans believe nowadays when they hear it. We all know the Supreme Court is important, but not many truly understand why. This video taught me just how important they are and that without them we wouldn't have many of the rights we have today. I suggest that every American takes some time to watch these videos as it is more important than ever to have a clear understanding of how our government and judicial systems work in America.

Top 5 News Sources

The way people find their news and facts is something that used to be "easy", however, with technological advancements in recent years, this "easy" task has become more difficult and even controversial in its own ways. All this means is that people nowadays must be careful where they find their news to ensure that what they are reading is factual and unbiased. There are many ways people can do this but the best way is to broaden the sources where you find your news. This sounds easier than it is because there are so many sources out there so which ones should you choose? To help you get started, I've listed some of my favorite sources that allow me to get multiple different opinions and details to a story allowing me to form my own opinion on the news that is occurring.

1. New York Post

Local News Sources give you a great in-depth view as to what is going on around your specific area. I grew up in New York so one of my favorite websites to visit was the New York Post. As a kid, I did this strictly because of the sports news it would release every day about my favorite teams. However, as I got older I began to realize that the New York Post also gives me good detail as to what is going on in the News. I don't believe local news sources are the best for nationwide news, but I think it is necessary to have and should be frequently visited by people every day.

Being a New Yorker, I have grown up reading the New York Post for all different types of news. Whether it's sports or just breaking news, I have always found this to be one of the first places I have visited. It is usually unbiased and gives a good detailed description of what's going on. 

Although I personally enjoy reading this website I still believe that there are better sources out there when it comes to nationwide news. It's important to remember that this is a New York-related website so most of the articles relate to New York sports teams or New York news. If you're looking for nationwide news, I typically use the following source...

2. Fox News

Fox News is a politically right-leaning source but gives good insight as to what is going on in the news. Whether your political views are right or left, it's very important to expose yourself to opposite ideals in order to make sure you're getting both sides of the story and to form your own unbiased opinion. 

3. CNN

CNN is a politically left-leaning news source. This is pretty much the opposite of Fox News but again, no matter your political views it's important to expose yourself to both of these to stay unbiased and form your own opinion on problems around the country.

4. TikTok

TikTok is one of the most controversial news sources that people use to gather information. This is very popular amongst the younger generation of kids because they spend so much time on it and get most of their news in a 30-second clip. 

This is both good and bad because TikTok allows mainstream news sources to spread information to the public quickly however does not give people the full details because quite frankly, it's impossible to do so in under 30 seconds. 

What this means is that it is so important to use the news you hear about on TikTok to then go and research it on a deeper level. I promise if you do this you will see just how wrong TikTok usually is, but still gives you the basic news of what happened.

5. Instagram

Instagram is very similar to TikTok in the way that it spreads news like wildfire but a person can never fully trust that everything being said is true. I associate TikTok and Instagram under the same category as both a good and a bad news source for this exact reason. Yes, it is a good thing that we can spread news quickly, but it's also a bad thing when the news we are spreading is opinionated or fake which is very easy to do on social media.