Blog Post #4- Speech Theories & Free Expression

 

Free expression is one of the most important things we have as Americans. We have the right and ability to truthfully and fully express ourselves about anything we want. The First Amendment explicitly states these freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, right to assemble, and right to petition. Our first amendment rights are arguably some of the most important in the Bill of Rights; with the rise of social media and private social media companies, people have become complacent with these rights and comfortable with violations of them. We must remind ourselves of the importance of these rights and call out the violations of them. There are a few different theories about speech that help us discern the different areas that our free expression is most important in as well as how they may be violated in those areas. 

There are eight different values of free expression; some may feel more important depending on how you express yourself on a daily basis. I am currently a college student which is a time for me to start truly expressing myself. When considering which values I find important, I resonate with the values of promoting innovation and tolerance. We should be able to use our speech and expression to be more creative and reach our goals in all kinds of ways. There should also be an encouragement of tolerance. If there is no tolerance, we would not be allowing everyone to freely express themselves. 

For example, social media is a beautiful tool that we can utilize to express our ideas and create to our hearts content. People sometimes say things that are perceived as problematic, like publicly endorsing a political candidate that is commonly disliked or making a skit that majority of people do not find funny or maybe even think is offensive. However, we should build a tolerance to these things and allow people to express themselves. Even if their statements are harmful or insensitive, censorship can lead us down a path to the end of free speech. The tolerance theory should be considered carefully. We know acceptable behaviors and should express ourselves in the confines of that, but still have the option to express ourselves freely. As a college student, stories of free speech being attacked on campuses across the nation is quite concerning. It is important to know about these theories of speech so that we can protect them wholeheartedly. 

Sometimes we can use these theories to help us better think about situations and events that are happening in the real world. More recently, there has been a lot of disagreements about current political figures in our government and the actions they are taking. It is not only our right, but also our duty to hold our government accountable and keep them in check. As Americans, we have every right to express ourselves about politics and every right to speak against our government if we feel they are doing wrong. This goes beyond a simple tweet bashing a political figure. We have the right to organize and protest if we feel the need to. Free expression is a powerful weapon and tool that should be not taken for granted. 

Blog Post #3- The Supreme Court

    Many people know about the Supreme Court and their importance in our government, but do not know the complete history of the court including how it came to be and some of their most influential and impactful decisions. After reading History's summarization of the Supreme Court, I've learned more about the developments and improvements of the Supreme Court over time and about the important people that were a part of it all. 

There was a lot of information I read that I did not know previously, but one specific piece really stuck out to me. The Supreme Court is responsible for a lot of the rules we have for our court systems. This top of the chain court was used to create some of the ground rules and laws we have for court today. For example, everyone has the right to legal representation even if they cannot afford it. If you cannot provide your own legal representation, the government must provide some for you. This was not a law before 1963 when the Supreme Course ruled over the case of Gideon v. Wainwright. 

There are a lot of other things that people should know about the Supreme Court. First, while their decisions may be law they are not always right. In the past, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of segregation laws and denied African-Americans citizenship. More recently, they overturned a landmark case: Roe v. Wade. The original ruling protected women's abortion rights at a federal level. The overturning of this ruling gave the state governments jurisdiction over abortion laws. These are all rulings that take away rights from those living in America in one way or another. It is important to know about the systems of our government and the impact they have on us and the way we live every single day.

Blog Post #2- Our Privacy Online

Online security is a topic that should be talked about much more often and becomes more of a concern each and every day. Most people see articles about cyber threats and online security everyday, but simply ignore it thinking it does not affect them. The truth is that we should all be vigilant about our online presence and how we interact with the technology around us every single day.

There are a lot of different threats when it comes to being online, almost too many to even want to think about. However, there are situations that are more likely to affect everyday people. For example, 'revenge porn' is a very serious threat for people my age. Young adults and teens alike tend to send explicit images to significant others frequently. I have too many friends that have been victims of revenge porn, where a boyfriend or girlfriend thought it was funny to share private images to everyone in the school. In the case of surveillance on our personal devices, I have family members that have been victims of fraud or identity theft because of information stolen from their device using malware or some other type of infiltration into their device.

As a citizen, you should want the government to take steps to stop these threats against us. Technology has become a part of everyday life for everyone and there should be laws to protect us while using it. Laws that punish the perpetrators of revenge porn, laws that stop surveillance on devices across the country, and laws that protect our basic privacy. In the meantime, we have to protect ourselves and fortunately there are a few ways to do so. Christopher Soghoian tells us that using encrypted services such as WhatsApp or Apple's Facetime is a good way to help protect against unwanted surveillance. Catherine Crump says that it is sometimes best to turn off your mobile devices for the night instead of leaving them powered on overnight. It is also a good rule of thumb to not post or share anything that you are not okay with everyone seeing. Even if you post to a private social media account or an account that does not appear to be you, everything can be traced back to you. If you're connected, you should be careful.

Blog Post #1- My Top 5 Sources of News & Information

Media has grown a considerable amount within the last few decades, becoming global with an almost infinite stream of informational sources. While some people may still get their news in more traditional ways, like reading an article in the newspaper, most of the world has moved on to more advanced platforms using technology. Whether you are watching a news stream on television or reading an article on your phone, it is important to know where you are getting your news from and which is best. The following are my own personal top five sources of News & Information.

 1. Apple News

Apple News serves as a hub for media outlets and information providers. They showcase top articles from top news companies in a quick and easily accessible way. They also publish their own news articles under a service known as Apple News+. I like to use Apple News the most because it quickly keeps me up to date with current news when I don't have time to do some deeper research. I'd recommend using Apple News because of its easy-to-understand format and quick access. 

2. The New York Times

The New York Times is a good newspaper I go to when I want specific details on current events. This is especially the case when I am looking into international news to see what is going on around the globe. I recommend the New York Times because they tend to give factual, knowledgeable information on current events without a bias or opinion included in their reports. They also have a large variety of authors and reporters writing their stories and spreading the information, so it is not coming from a singular point of view. 

3. Twitter

Not everybody may consider Twitter a source of news, but I sure do. Twitter is a great overall news source, allowing you to keep tabs on a variety of daily news including the latest happenings in pop culture or the economy. Twitter may not be the most reliable source of news, but it is useful to have when you want to stay on top of things and be in the know as soon as possible. 

4. U.S. News & World Report

U.S News & World Report is another credible news source I like to use when looking for any news that is more serious; I also like to use this source when looking for more statistics or research. They do a great job of giving news with more evidence to back it. While some articles or reports may seem slightly biased, they at least give evidence to back it. They are also a good source to stay informed with global events. 

5. NPR

NPR is a news source that is good for keeping up to date with information that may not always be 'breaking news.' They have good articles to keep up with what is going on around you, especially surrounding states. NPR also tends to be well-known for staying unbiased which is helpful when looking for political information. NPR is also available on the radio, something they try to remind you by letting you know which station you can listen to NPR on!