Blog Post #3

The Power of Free Speech in the Digital Age

The First Amendment is a huge part of our democracy, which helps protect our rights to speech and expression. Out of the eight values of free expression, there are three that resonate the most with me and what I feel is very present in today's society. Those three are Marketplace of Ideas, Check on Governmental Power, and Protect Dissent. I believe that these are the most prevalent in the world we are living in today, with social media being a very prominent part of society, especially in younger generations. I believe that these values are even more important now than they have been in the past.

Marketplace of Ideas

The Marketplace of Ideas is believing that different ideas are allowed to compete, but no matter how long this may take, the truth will inevitably win. With social media being a prominent source of communication, there are a lot of different ideas and opinions being shared on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Information is being spread around so much faster than it used to, and it sparks a lot of discussion and challenges on current events.

One example is during the pandemic, when there was a lot of false information being spread about the vaccine online. This was quickly shut down by experts who then came out with much more accurate facts. While misinformation will always be an issue in this world, specifically on social media, open discussions can help people learn and understand to gain a better understanding of where the truth lies.

With this being said, oftentimes, social media creates something called an echo chamber, which is essentially when the social media platform you are on drives the content you are seeing based on your specific beliefs and opinions, reinforcing them even more. With this being taken into account, it makes it much harder to be able to see or hear other people’s views on certain topics. Even though these challenges will remain, I think it’s important that free speech allows truth to emerge.

Keeping the Government Accountable

Checking government power is essentially the idea that free speech will allow corruption and wrongdoing to be exposed. Investigative journalism in the past has been a powerful tool in this situation and has helped uncover a plethora of major scandals, one example being Watergate . In today's world, social media helps hold our leaders accountable.

Another example is viral videos and citizen journalism—everyday people exposing violations of human rights worldwide via media, capturing something they saw, and choosing to record it to raise awareness of that particular issue. This is why platforms such as X, TikTok, and Instagram are all so important in this world because they give citizens worldwide a chance to use their voices in ways they never thought possible. Without social media, it would be extremely hard to hold the government accountable. Without that ability to challenge them, our democracy would see a drastic change for the worse.

The Right to Dissent

Protecting the right to dissent means making sure people can speak out against the government or the majority. The reason why this is so important is that it tends to lead to change for the better. A prime example of this topic is the Civil Rights Movement and how recent protests have gained a lot of traction because of people who chose to speak out.

If it weren’t for social media, a lot of these voices would not be heard. Therefore, it would be hard for movements to grow if the people behind them weren’t being heard. If people weren’t allowed to speak up and stand for what they believe in without the chance of being heard by the government, there would be so many things that would not have changed in this world, and a lot of important matters wouldn’t have even been discussed.

Final Thoughts

All of these values truly show why free speech is so important, but it’s also a good reminder that we need to hold ourselves accountable and do our duty as American citizens who have this right. With this being said, we have no excuse not to use our free speech to our advantage, as the digital world has made it so much more convenient for us to use our voices, stand up for what we believe in, and never stop learning about our country, rights, and opportunities we may have in this world.

Even with the hardships we may face along the way, as our world is not perfect and never will be, we can still do our part to make it better by not being afraid to challenge authority, support open discussions, and hold leaders accountable. The First Amendment is crucial and always has been, and now more than ever, people need to hear that free speech is so much more than a right—it’s something that is cherished and must be protected to keep our society balanced and informed.

Blog post #2

The US Supreme Court Reflection

The U.S. Supreme Court is a massive part of our justice system in the United States of America. I learned so much from watching these videos, and it also refreshed my memory on some things I already knew about the Supreme Court, such as that when a Supreme Court justice is chosen to serve, they serve for life unless they retire, resign, or get impeached. Currently, there are a total of 9 justices, with one chief justice and 8 associate justices, but this number has and will continue to change over time, as the number is set by Congress.

A Supreme Court justice goes through a lengthy process to be selected, and the first step is that a seat needs to be open that needs to be filled. The president will then select a nominee, normally someone who aligns well politically and is very experienced in law and judicial philosophy. The nominee is then put through multiple background checks and reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Afterward, the nominee will go through multiple confirmation hearings where the Senate will ask very specific questions such as legal views, past rulings, and philosophy. After all the hearings, the Senate will need a majority vote (51 out of 100) to either confirm the nominee or reject them.

These are some things that I already knew but got a refresher on, as I have always been very interested in politics and how the government works. I come from a family of lawyers and a mom who was a political science major in college, so it’s always been a point of interest for me ever since I was young. I would say what surprised me the most that I didn't know or think about is how difficult it is to overturn a Supreme Court decision. Once a ruling is made, it cannot be changed unless the Court later decides to overturn that specific case or unless a constitutional amendment is passed. This is one of the reasons why the Supreme Court justices have so much power and why so much thought goes into their decisions, as those decisions can last forever.

This is very interesting to me because my brain goes to the fact that Roe v. Wade, a decision made almost unanimously (7-2) in 1973, stated that a woman's right to have an abortion was protected under the 14th Amendment's right to privacy. Almost 50 years later, this was overturned with 5 justices voting to overturn and 4 voting not to. This was a very controversial topic, so thinking about how hard these 5 justices worked to overturn Roe v. Wade, especially since it’s not a constitutional right and many people tried to push Congress to act on this and override the Supreme Court, is mind-blowing.

As I think this is a very important takeaway, I believe that the most important thing to learn from these videos is that the Supreme Court doesn’t just decide on cases—it’s really about the Constitution and how it’s interpreted. Justices don’t get to just enforce a law because it’s what they want or believe, as they have rules. The Constitution acts almost as a rulebook for them, and they have to apply what it’s saying to issues that are currently going on in the world. This is important, as it shows that interpretation will always be evolving with our needs as a society. Also, the different opinions and beliefs of all of the justices and how they interpret the Constitution a major factors in how laws are enforced and understood.

BLOG POST #1

Fox News 

Fox News is one of my go-to places where I can get breaking news, political updates, and an update on current events. One thing I appreciate about Fox News is its wide range of topics, some of which include national and international news, health updates, sports, lifestyle, and so much more. While Fox News is considered a more conservative viewpoint, I think it's important to have a complete understanding of a certain issue and to get your information from multiple news outlets, each with different opinions, so you can get other perspectives on this topic. I also like that Fox provides live coverage of major events in multiple different areas, such as sports economics and finance, or politics, they have something for everyone. Fox News is a very useful source and can help you stay informed.

X (Formerly Twitter)

X is probably my second favorite way to get news updates from. it allows me to follow and keep up to date with POTUS, DOGE, RFK Jr., and so many others. I enjoy X because of how quick and simple it is, as the posts are shorter and just basic highlights, which allows me to get a baseline knowledge of a specific topic without reading a very long and indirect news article. Another great feature is that people can comment or respond on posts and have full on discussions about the post and how they feel, making it very hands on, more than a traditional news source would be. It's also very convenient as it is very quick in how fast they put out information, so you don't have to wait hours for one long article; you can hop on X and have 100's of different posts, videos, and responses on the topic of your choice. X is a great place to get news and information from, I would highly recommend for you to check it out if you have the chance.

TikTok

While TikTok seems as though it is all for entertainment, it has slowly become one of my most used apps to get information from, as there are so many news outlets that post content on there, or educators, or just creators in general that use their platform to talk more about current events. It is very easy to pay attention because the videos are normally no more than five minutes long, making it easy to understand and focus on the information. I also love when people take the time to break big social issues down to make them easier for me to understand. It’s also a really good way to bring awareness to what is happening in our country and in other countries. It is a great form of engagement, especially for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who tend to become more and more dependent on media and are often out of touch with the news and current events. So, if you like fun, casual, and informative news that's easy to follow along with, then TikTok is a great source.

Instagram 

Instagram is the perfect all-around app to get news and my personal favorite, as many media outlets and journalists use it to share new information. I follow pages like JD Vance, POTUS, Fox News, the White House, and many more. Instagram has a great variety of posts, whether that includes regular posts, story posts, or reels. The formatting of Instagram makes it very easy to follow and absorb information, and I enjoy that I can find all of the information I need very easily. I also like when certain influencers or pages, in general, post infographics and explainers on political and social issues. Instagram is an amazing option for an easy-to-use outlet to get information, especially if you want a balance of politics and entertainment in your feed.

YouTube 

YouTube is one of the best platforms for more in-depth news coverage. I like that YouTube has interviews, podcasts, documentaries, and so much more. I am not subscribed to many people on YouTube, but during all of the presidential debates, I would go back and watch those, and any big presidential speech or interview, I tend to go back and watch on YouTube, as I may not be able to watch what I want live. So, it's much easier knowing I won’t miss important information since it's already been put up on YouTube. It is also helpful when you want a deeper understanding of something, as it features longer videos, and it’s also helpful when you want to understand both sides of an issue. If you prefer to have a deeper awareness of certain issues, YouTube would be an amazing source for news and information.