Blog Post #3 - Free Expression

Eight Values of Free Expression 

The Eight Values of Free Expression are essential in maintaining a free society in the United States. The values that resonate with me the most are "Individual Self-Fulfillment" and the "Promotion of Innovation". These two values have significantly impacted my development and way of life.

The value of "Individual Self-fulfillment" is particularly in my life because it allows me to seek out my passions and interests and find others who share similar ones. For example, I danced competitively at Rising Star Dance Academy back in Minnesota for 15 years. As an adolescent, I developed an interest in dancing, and the value of "Individual Self-fulfillment" allowed me to act on that interest and promote it to others. I now consider the art of dance as a critical aspect of my life and my personality, and sharing that value with fellow dancers from across the country is something I am forever grateful for. 

The value "Promotion of Innovation" is another value that I greatly appreciate in my life. The process of getting my degree in Strategic Communications has shown me the power and influence that innovative and creative thinking has on our society and our world. Free Speech allows creative minds, inventors, innovators, artists, and so many more people to use their own methods to express ideas, create change, and impact the community around them.

Even though the two aforementioned values are particularly important to me, all eight values of free expression are relevant and beneficial. The value I think might be most pertinent to the function of society as a whole is the "Check on Governmental Power". Checks and balances are crucial in maintaining an ethical, well-run, values-based government. Though there is great discomfort and disapproval about our current government, this can be a good thing. When the press, the general public, or organized political groups do not agree with government actions, we have the ability to state our grievances and enact change where we see fit. 

All of these values can be seen in action in our society today. The values that promote free speech and free thinking are seen within the work of comedians, artists, dancers, singers, public speakers, activists, and really any individual that chooses to express themselves in a public manner. An example of free speech and government disapproval working together is displayed in today's "Defund the Police" movement. This movement is centered around the desire for law enforcement that behaves differently and more effectively in society. Free expression allows supporters of the "Defund the Police" movement to openly criticize the current government actions and ask for change within the system. 

One theory called the "Marketplace of Ideas" can also be seen and related to real-world events. This marketplace describes the freedom of opinion, expressing ideas, and fighting for personal opinions and values. All over social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc., political and personal ideology is openly and passionately expressed. While this often leads to conflict and division within our country and between political parties, it also is a necessary evil. When someone without a strong opinion wants to understand the argument for multiple sides of an issue, the "Marketplace of Ideas" allows them to examine any and all opinions and thoughts that each sector of the population holds. 

Overall, the Eight Values of Free Expression are very important and necessary in the lives of Americans today. They can be seen at work in past cases and events, as well as happenings of today. 

Blog Post #2 - Supreme Court

Supreme Court Analysis

After reading the History Channel article overview of the United States Supreme Court, I discovered many new aspects of its origin and jurisdiction. For example, before reading this article, I was not aware that the Chief Justice of SCOTUS is required to sit on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institute. This was a bit of a surprise because I was under the impression that Surpreme Court Judges had a solitary duty in hearing major Supreme Court level cases.

Another surprising fact that I learned about SCOTUS involves the influence of the Chief Justice on court opinion. According to the History Channel article, when the chief justice is part of the majority opinion, they have the right to assign who will write to court's opinion. This was not something I have ever been taught in previous history or political science classes. 

My major takeaway from this research is that the Supreme Court holds a lot of power. The Supreme Court has the final say in major law changes and government decisions. In addition, it has the ability to check the actions of executive branch and legislative branch. I think that the three branch system is held in balance by the Supreme Court and their power to reject the other branches' actions if necessary.

Blog Post #1

My Top Five Sources of News and Information

My first source of news and information is Kare 11. Kare 11 is a local news station from my home state, Minnesota. It covers everything from the weather to local stories, to major events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the U.S. I often watched Kare 11 in the evening as a child, so it is kind of a comfort channel for me. Knowing what is happening in my community and how that relates to the rest of the world is very important and informative. Even though watching a news program takes a longer time than reading a short article, I enjoy listening to news reporters from my area explain relevant events. 

TikTok is another place I get news and information. Oftentimes, I get pop culture news and random celebrity content, but I also get more important news from TikTok too. On occasion, I find out breaking news or global happenings from viral videos or news-focused content creators. I enjoy finding out information this way because it is often in a creative or entertaining format. However, the validity and reliability of TikTok as a news source are not exactly optimal.

Another social media outlet I use for news and information is Snapchat. Snapchat has "stories" on various channels that give me current and frequently updated information and global news. I can keep up with pop culture references, political scandals, and current events all within a matter of a few minutes each day. I also get information from posts by my friends and family on Snapchat, which keeps me up to date with their lives and how they perceive world events. 

The New York Times is another source of information and news that I rely on. I play the New York Times mini-game "Wordle" almost every single day. This leads me to look at their news articles, crossword puzzles, etc. I enjoy doing the crosswords because I typically learn something about history, pop culture, and current events through completing them. Then I'm prompted to do more research on those topics by reading the related news articles on their website. It makes research and new information more fun and intriguing to me. 

Friends and family are my last source of news and information. This is the source I rely most heavily on. When something of importance happens at HPU, our community, or the world, I typically find out about it from my friends or family first. While this may not seem like the best source of information, it often leads me to do more research on my own.