Blog Post #3: The 8 values of free expression

The 8 Values of Free Expression

The 8 values of free expression are very important in our modern day society. We use them throughout everyday life without even knowing it. It helps our country progress to building a stronger future, helping to give everyone their own voice and bringing people of all ethnicities together as one. 

One of the eight values that resonate with me is the check on governmental power. It is there to ensure that the people in power are to be held accountable. It acts as a safeguard from power, as it protects people's rights. People will rally together if the government tries to abuse their power. When people can discuss an issue freely, they are more likely to get up and take action. A time where we have used this value was the Watergate scandal, where it led to the president resigning from office for abusing his power. The media was able to expose this at the time. 

One of the values that I think is most important is Promoting innovation. This allows us to express our ideas and thoughts and be able to share them. There is no sensory when it comes to this, helping build our society, bringing people together and advance our technology. There will always be a competitive market for who is going to create the next new biggest thing.

    This is a good thing as it fuels people to keep coming up with ideas and bettering ourselves for our future. Also, this gives us the best technology and keeps us up with other countries as well. Companies are always trying to create the next big thing with that it keeps the market super competitive. This is what makes America the best at creating all this new type of technology. 

Participation in self-government advocates your right to decide who you want in the government. It helps promote local economic development, as well as social justice and helps build the city's infrastructure as well.  

Participation in Self-Government is one of the values that stick out most to me. Having the right to vote affects us in so many ways, such as local government, state government and even the country's government. At the end of the day, voting is a civil duty, we are all united as one and we all disagree and agree upon topics together.  Participating in Self-Government affects the regulation one in power may have. The people you elect in the office should demonstrate the priorities you agreed and based on your personal beliefs as well.  

 The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are also built upon the principles of self-government. This affects the power and regulation the government has over the people. When we vote these people in, we expect them to give us our natural rights and the protection of all citizens. 

 The 8 values of free expression create an environment where us as humans can conquer. Bring people of all ethnicities, race and religion together as one. As well as promoting the growth of our country to become one of the strongest and smartest nations in the world. 

Blog Post #2: The history and workings of the U.S Supreme Court

 

The U.S Supreme court

The US Supreme Court tells president, states, as well as Congress what they can and cannot do. When the capital was being built in 1801 the U.S supreme court had moved into a temporary room that was in there. John Marshall had just been named the first Chief Justice of the U.S Supreme Court.

Under Marshall as chief justice the court had struck down a ruling for the first time ever that an act of Congress was unconstitutional. During the Marshalls years, the new court gained a lot of respect by being seen as a coequal branch of government. 

However, 20 years later America faced its most diverse problem yet, being the case of Dred Scott. He was an American slave in Missouri and under chief justice Roger Brooke Taney, the Congress had ruled that they have no power to ban slavery. This decision ended up weakening the court's authority for years to come.

The slavery decision was decided by the end of the civil war and the Dred Scott decision is remembered as one of the court's greatest self-inflicted wounds. After the Civil War, the Constitution was amended to abolish slavery, define citizenship and grant people the right to vote. 

The 14th amendment told the states that they cannot deny due process of law or equal protection of law to any citizen. Many people back then would call the 14th Amendment the Second Bill of Rights. When they say this, they mean when the bill of rights was put into law to protect citizens against the federal power.

The 14th  Amendment has been used, especially in our time, for protecting people from the excess of the state's power. So that is why many people see the 14th amendment alongside the Bill of Rights. 

The U.S Supreme Court must wait for people to bring their case to them. A judge cannot go out their way to bring it up in court. The Supreme Court hearings are open to the public. Lawyers that are on the opposing sides of each case are allowed up to 30 minutes to make their argument before the court.

The oral argument is about an hour long, where 9 of the nation's highest officials will end up doing work in the court room. After the argument, the Justices end up gathering and end up making a vote. In this conference room they are alone. Once they decide, someone from the majority side will write out their opinion explaining why they chose that option.

Overall, the US Supreme Court plays a very important part in our legal system, making decisions that affect our country as one. Today I learned a lot more about how the U.S Supreme Court works, how it ensures that it follows the constitution and things I wasn't as familiar with like, how they select the process or how selective they are when they take these cases as well. The Supreme Court protects the Constitution and plays a key role in what we can say or do and what we cannot say or do.