Speech Theories

 The most important of the eight values of free expression is the check on government power. Every year, it seems like the government attempts to increase the power that they have over the citizens of the United States. whether that is violating their rights or not giving citizens all the information about what they are doing and for what reason they are doing it. 

During Covid the United States government took full advantage of a global pandemic and over reached many of our rights as Americans, the forced businesses to close, the forced to stay in our homes and not go outside, imagine telling our founding fathers that at some point in the history of the United States there would be a time when the government arrested people for stepping outside and leaving their homes, they would have thought that we were no longer a democracy. 

While forcing people to stay home, they also censored what people said online, both regular people and

qualified people who had different opinions from what the government was saying. The government also attempted to force vaccination on all Americans by making it next to impossible to return to work or go to many events without a proof of vaccination card. 

They made people carry and provide papers to prove vaccinations, which sounds like something straight out of a fascist dictatorship. Without the ability of the people to check and vote out politicians that abuse their power, we could not have a free country. Each time the government abuses its power, we are able to call it out through the First Amendment and correct it through our votes, which discourages politicians from repeatedly and egregiously stomping on our rights.

Another important value of free expression is the protection of discontent. Everyone's opinion and right to say what they want or believe in is crucial in living in a free and just country. Even when what someone is saying may be a terrible idea or all around incorrect, it is important to live in a society where they can still say it, because in a world where everyone gets an opinion, the good ideas will always come to the surface and the bad ones will sink.

 It becomes a huge problem when only certain opinions are allowed to be voiced because that is when the bad ideas seem to gain traction. You need those bad ideas voiced so you can debate them and disprove them, or people will hear those bad ideas and not the counterargument, and they will gain steam. 

Another important aspect of the protection of dissent in our country is how we use the electoral college in our election instead of just having a popular vote where the majority rules our country. If we did not have the electoral college, people in smaller areas or smaller states would feel like their opinions are not being heard,d and the only people who have a say are the people who live in big states or cities like New York City or Los Angeles. 

This allows for the majority to be forced to listen to those they would not have if our country was just majority rule. Without Americans being able to voice their discontent, the minority would always have their opinions ignored and their rights trampled.

Supreme Court

 The Supreme Court gets an average of seven thousand cases per year, which they have to decide if they are going to rule on or not. This number is slightly higher than I would have expected. I would have guessed that they may only get up to a couple thousand or around ten to fifteen cases per day. The court's impartiality is considered one of if the not the most important features of the court. Obviously, all nine of the Supreme Court Justices have differing opinions and views, but at least those opinions are not shaped or forced by

outside factors like Presidents or members of Congress who can be persuaded by the donors who helped them to get elected or be pressured by other outside forces. While today it can feel like we know what way the judges are going to vote based on what president put them into their position it is not always a guarantee because of this code of impartiality. Recently, there have been protests and strong emotions when a new

Supreme Court judges get picked by a president because people on the opposite side of the aisle know that that judge now has the job for the rest of their life and on most political issues, will side with the party that helped to swear them in. I had believed that these judges often pretended to be impartial when in reality already had their minds made up about what they believed before they were even presented with all the facts, but them sitting down and debating each other in a civil way gives me more confidence that when the most important topics come up through the courts and make their way to the supreme court the right decisions will be made with the best interests of Americans being kept in mind.

My Top Five Sources of News

Sports Illustrated is one of the best sources you can use for news in the sports world. I personally use sports illustrated for their articles on the NFL, but they do not just cover football they cover all sports-related events. Not only does Sports Illustrated report the news but they also have opinion pieces that can give you an idea of how most people are reacting to the news. Many Sports articles you often have to pay for but Sports Illustrated you can read for free.

Another great source I use for the NFL is the Palm Beach Post. As a Dolphins fan, they have insiders within the organization that supply them with better details and more accuracy than sources that are not specifically attached to the Miami Dolphins, for example, they will break down contracts and salary cap, they will speculate on who Miami may sign for draft. Most sources that only cover one area or team require a subscription to their articles but the Palm Beach Post does not. 

 

The BBC is often a pretty solid source for politics in the US. They are typically considered a centristnews organization. The BBC also makes reading their articles very simple and easy. Not only is theBBC very good at giving you the facts if you want to read up on opinion pieces, they also have that.While I typically use the BBC for news about the United States, they are based in London, Englandso they cover international topics so you can read up on all major world events.

CBS is one of the best overall news sources. Not only do they cover the NFL

at a very high level, but they also cover national and international news at a very

high level. CBS will often give you the facts of the situation and then give their views. This is important for a source

so you can read the facts, start to form an opinion, and then actually read the opinions

of others and either hear reasons that people disagree or reasons that can solidify your analysis of the facts.

ESPN has become one of the most trusted and respected news sources for sports, especially here in the United States. They are considered so great because of how connected they are to the people and organizations that they are reporting on. They often have leaks and stories released before the events actually break. They have insiders working around the clock to get the inside scoop and break down information that may be hard for a regular person to break down, like contracts, and they are able to simplify it in a way that anyone can understand.