Blog #3- Key Post: The Eight Values of Free Expression

The Eight Values of Free Expression stem from the First Amendment. 

They include:

1. Marketplace of Ideas/Discovery of Truth: John Milton fought against needing to have a licene to print and publish by arguing that truth beats falsehood when they come together.
2. Participation in Self-Government: Supports free speech for candidates and their policies, leading to citizens being well informed about what to vote for.
3. Stable Change/Safety Valve: The idea that free speech of venting will help prevent violence.
4. Individual Self-Fulfillment/Self-Actualiztion: Freedom of speech allowing citizens to be individuals and express themselves.
5. Check on Governmental Power/Watchdog Role: Freedom of the press keeps citizens informed of any abuses of power to maintain checks and balances.
6. Promote Tolerance: Freedom of speech grows the tolerance of the citizens to become tolerant to upsetting speech.
7. Promote Innovation: Citizens use free speech creatively to make up a diverse and interesting community.
8. Protect Dissent: The ability to criticize and disagree with the government.

I believe that all of these values are crucial, but a few stood out and resonated with me the most. This includes Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, and Promote Innovation.

Stable Change

Firstly, Stable Change was a concept that caught my attention because I didn't quite understand it at first. I wasn't connecting how free speech would lead to less violence. Once I worked through it, I strongly agreed with the value. Without the freedom to vent and express ones anger through words, the next best way is through actions. To prevent violence and riots, it is important that people are allowed to express and share their feelings. This way, their words will be heard and violence wouldn't be necessary.

Individual Self-Fulfillment

Secondly, Individual Self-Fulfillment stood out to me because I think it is very important for people to be able to express their thoughts and not be afraid of being punished for their opinions. Everyone should be able to feel comfortable to be themselves and create their own identities. People are constantly evolving in and out of different traits, habits, beliefs, values, and personalities. Free speech needs to exist and protect citizens while they discover who they are and who they aren't.

Self Actualization is also a part of this value. Cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman defined it as "finding things that fit your deepest strengths, your deepest values, and your sense of why you're here on this planet." He also noted that he doesn't believe self actualization is a linear process, instead in waves. Free speech allows citizens to discover these parts of themselves without fear of punishment.

Promote Innovation

The value of promoting innovation stands out to me because I enjoy being innovative and creative, therefore, I resonate with it deeply. When I was reading about this value, it reminded me of slam poetry and the way people use it to bring awareness to issues in society. I think slam poetry of that kind combines the values of promoting innovation and protecting dissent. Slam poetry can be a creative and interesting way of criticizing the government.

I am not a poetry writer, but I do enjoy painting and drawing. It is important that free speech protects the messages I wish to portray through artwork, as well as other unique ways that citizens would like to communicate. The image above is a painting by Banksy, called "Love is in the Air". The artist created this work with a message to spread hope and peace instead of violence. I believe that artwork and its message should be protected under free speech.

I believe freedom of speech is essential because if citizens aren't allowed to communicate about injustices, they may never be resolved. Overall, each of the eight values of free expression are equally as important in my opinion, but these three resonated personally with me the most.

Blog #2: Supreme Court

Although I was previously uninformed, I learned a lot about both the Supreme Court and some specific Chief Justices while watching the two videos. 

History

The first thing I learned was about the rise of the court. I was unaware that the Judicial Branch was viewed as less powerful than the others at some point in time. In fact, it wasn't until Chief Justice John Marshall struck down an unconstitutional act of Congress in the early 1800s that respect was raised for the court, and the Judicial Branch was finally seen as equal to the other branches.

Chief Justice Feelings

The first video gave an in-depth view into what the Chief Justices think and feel while occupying this position. Chief Justice David H. Souter reflected on the beginning of his term when he was advised that it would take him several years to settle into the role and not feel as overwhelmed. This was interesting to hear because it reminded me that the Chief Justices are just people and also feel emotions like stress and overwhelm.

With this information, I was interested to hear from Justices who have become comfortable in their role. Firstly, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor shared how she believes that it is important for each Justice to shake one another's hands before they have a conference. She reasons that the physical contact allows the Justices to begin on a friendly note. Hearing her insights allows me to get a feel for what the energy in the conference room is like as a Justice.

Secondly, Justice Clarence Thomas shared that he likes to approach conferences with an outline of what his decision for each case will be. With this system, he says that his opinion might change during the conference, but it is unlikely. I found it intriguing to hear about his personal habits to feel prepared for his duties as a Justice.

Overall, this part of the video was informational, and I felt like I received insider advice for becoming a successful Chief Justice.

The Process

I previously had no knowledge of the process that Justices go through when granting or denying certiorari. The second video explained each step, beginning with the Justices asking the lawyers questions for 30 minutes each and hearing their arguments. From there, the Justices privately gather in a conference room to discuss and vote on the case. 

Once a decision is reached, a Justice on the majority side is assigned to write an opinion that explains the legal reasoning behind the choice. Any Justice can write another opinion that disagrees with that view or agrees with different reasoning. The opinion drafts are sent to all nine Justices as they try to get each other in agreement. I was surprised to learn about how long of a process this can be. Once the final decision is made, the opinions are released to the press so they can report the court's decision and reasoning to the people.

The videos taught me about how important of a role being Chief Justice is and increased my respect for them further. They also emphasized the importance of the court having the trust of the American people. Without it, the court would have no power, according to the videos.

Before watching these videos, I had minimal knowledge about the Supreme Court and its Justices. Now, I am informed about the court's history, processes, and the duty of the Justices.

Blog #1: Top 5 Sources of News and Information

Although I do not intentionally seek out news and information very often, I inevitably encounter it as I browse the internet daily. This allows me to be aware of relevant current events.

TikTok

My primary source of news and information is TikTok, the social media app where various content is shared in short videos. Since I spend a decent amount of my free time roaming the app for entertainment, it is where I am most likely to stumble across new information. When I use the app, I commonly learn about something new that I wasn't previously aware of. I enjoy using TikTok as a news source because the short video format helps the information to be shared efficiently and understood easily. However, misinformation is often spread on TikTok, so I am cautious and don't assume everything on the app is true. For this reason, I only use this source to bring a topic to my attention and, if I am interested, research it further with reliable sources.

Instagram

My second source of news and information is Instagram, another social media platform. Similar to TikTok, the news I encounter on Instagram is usually accidental, as I am on the app mostly for entertainment or communication. However, I learn about many current events by viewing story posts from the users I follow. Many people like to use their accounts to repost political and activism posts for all of their followers to see, which brings more awareness to the topic. Because of this, Instagram is a great way to learn about current news that my peers are most passionate about. False information is also commonly spread on Instagram, so I believe it is crucial to fact-check important information elsewhere.

Google

My third favorite news and information source is Google. I enjoy using this search engine because it gives me quick results, often with a direct answer to my question in the first result. Also, Google has helpful sub-websites, such as Google News and Google Scholar, which are amazing for discovering news and information from reliable sources. Overall, Google will give me the answer I am looking for quickly and efficiently.

Youtube

My fourth favorite source is YouTube. I usually begin my research on Google, and occasionally, a YouTube video will be one of the top results of my search. I enjoy using YouTube as a source when I want a more structured and in-depth explanation. Many YouTubers who post informational content break down concepts and make them easier for their viewers to understand, compared to reading an advanced and potentially confusing article. YouTube is also great for physical demonstrations, depending on the topic being researched.

The New York Times

My final favorite news and information source is The New York Times. I occasionally visit the website to browse article headlines and discover current events. I will read articles that I find intriguing or relevant. While I enjoy this source for its abundance of information, I dislike the constant advertising for buying a subscription to the website. It is disruptive to my research process, as it often covers the whole screen and the article I was reading. However, I enjoy that The New York Times website has material that covers a multitude of topics, from world news to cooking recipes.