Eight Values of Free Expression

There are eight values of free expression in which are in place in an effort for the most efficient US Government. The eight values consist of discovery of truth, participation in self government, stable change, individual self fulfillment, check on government power, promotion of tolerance, promotion of innovation, and protecting dissent. 

The first value discusses the discovery of truth. An idea that was presented by Milton, suggests when truth and falsehood are allowed to freely grapple, the truth will always win. This value is an important one because, as important as it is that citizens have a sense of freedom of speech, whatever speech we are publishing should be truthful. 

The next value is the participation in self government. This value is detrimental to the continuation of democracy. It is a wonderful idea that we are in a nation that can be governed by the people and our voices can be heard, however that is only possible if the citizens are willing to participate in our democracy and keep it running. Educating yourself on local as well as national politics is a key component in order to be able to do activities such as vote for who is holding office, or what laws are passed. Without participation in self government, there is no self government.

Another value is stable change. As history has proven, societies in which the citizens can freely express their thoughts on changes to be made, operate more effectively than those in which the people lash out because their demands aren't being met. Think about how much more likely people are to act in violence when they are not allowed to freely speak their minds. When creating an environment that allows for people to actively voice concerns and take care of them in the most beneficial way, it creates a stable change for a society as opposed to a drastic one.

The next value is individual self fulfillment. Freedom of speech has opened the door for many aspects when it comes to self fulfillment, it has become an aspect of ones identity. How people express themselves  using any form of media to communicate their thoughts, has become a widespread form of self expression. When partaking in any activity that makes you feel more connected to yourself and your true identity, leads to self fulfillment.

Next we have the value that checks on government power. Many systems are set in place in an effort to prevent any branch of the government abuse its power one being checks and balances. As each branch of the government is handed an immense amount of power, it is easy for that said power to not be abused.

Promotion of tolerance is a value that has historically, and in todays terms set the US apart from other nations. It is an idea that by allowing all forms of speech, even forms that are found to make people upset or be harmful, has contributed to a more tolerant society overall. A lesson to be learned from this value is that everything you see will not always be in your favor, however it is an important lesson to learn how to tolerate it. 

Promotion of innovation is a value that has been found to stimulate the nation in a positive way. When free speech is proven to be valued in a community, there is more creativity, conversation, ideas for improvement, and overall a more inspiring energy to surround yourself with.

The last value is protecting dissent. This is a value that states in order to receive protection for the ideas and things you like, you will also receive protection for the ideas and things you dislike. 

Brown v Board of Education-What I Learned

             For this week's Mock Trial, my classmates used this case as our topic. Both sides argued for their defendant as they provided the class with some back story on the case.

In the town of Topeka, Kansas in 1954, a man named Oliver Brown filed a class-action lawsuit against the Board of Education after his daughter named Linda Brown, was denied entrance to the all white elementary schools. Oliver Brown is challenging the court for not protecting his daughter under the "separate but equal clause". 

Brown's side made a number of arguments, one of them being that segregation in school systems should be deemed as unconstitutional. While the Board of Education had a rebuttal that students of color may feel they are disadvantaged when sitting beside a white student who has had access to the amenities of a school system that is intended for whites. Browns defendant pulled lines from the constitution, and challenged them, asking why Lydia Brown was not given equal rights if our country was built upon the principle that states all men were created equally. Brown's side also challenged the idea that the Board of Education was violating the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment which prevents government discrimination based on race and gender. 

The Board of Education made a variety of arguments one being that allowing black children into white public schools would impact our economy poorly as tax payer would not and should not have to pay for amenities that would provide black children with keys to succeed. Another argument the made by the Board's side was white children being incapable of success on the grounds that integration occurs. The Board of Education's side fought that white students will only be able to succeed if they are surrounded by students that look like them. The sight of an integrated school system would confuse white students, putting a plateau in their progress and preventing them from progressing further. The board's side felt there is a greater opportunity for success of both races if they continue with a segregated system. Another argument made on the board's side was that black children only need fundamentals to succeed while white students need all amenities possible to succeed. The idea of black students not being deserving of attending school with white students was a common idea for the side of the Board of Education.

While both sides did an exceptional job at fighting their side, the consensus was the side defending Brown had a stronger argument. It was a difficult decision because the class felt both sides held their ground very well however, Browns side had more references whether they were form the Constitution, Amendments, or previous laws passed that had been violated. The Board of Education did an exceptional job at fighting a difficult side however, it was more emotion based argument while Brown's side was more fact based. Both sides made strong arguments for their side and left the class very impressed with the preparation and dedication to the roles for this task.

Final Blog

 In what ways is America's constitutional democracy crucially dependent on the First Amendment? How did events during the Civil Rights Era reveal the First Amendment's central role in creating social and political change?

The First Amendment has fully shaped how this nation can communicate their feelings while actively using their freedoms to the fullest extent. What many people sets the United States apart from other nations is its sense of freedom. Freedom to speak on what you believe in, what religion you would like to practice, assembly, and petition. The First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

https://study.com/academy/lesson/effect-of-democratic-practices-on-free-speech.html

One favorable characteristic of our nation is the fact that citizens have the right to call out the government on actions that may appear to be unconstitutional. The ideas of democracy and free speech are closely intertwined. With free speech, it increases citizens interest in politics because they feel protected by our First Amendment Rights to speak freely. Voting for example: due to the fact that all citizens have the right to vote on who they feel would best serve as President of our nation, people are forced to do research on the climate of our nation and make a decision which exercises our First Amendment rights. 

While the First Amendment may seem very cut and dry, during my time in Talking About Freedom with Dean Smith, I have learned the complexity of how these laws protect us. During the Civil Rights Era, many events that took place, were only possible because of the First Amendment. A popular idea that arose during the Civil Rights Era was the idea of nonviolent resistance. Nonviolent resistance was the theory of achieving goals for a change by using practices such as civil disobedience, symbolic protests,  and more. 

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/montgomery-bus-boycott

One event that occurred during this era used the idea of nonviolent resistance would be the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks refused to give her seat up for a white man, was arrested and fined, and within days the entire town of Montgomery, Alabama was ready to boycott the bus system. The boycott went on for 381 days as many residents decided they would not stop until the demands of integration were met. While this case was settled to be a violation of the 14th Amendment, integration would not have happened if it weren't for actions that were protected by the First Amendment. This is an event that harnesses the right to petition the government by allowing bus riders to actively not partake in the activity they felt needed to be changed.

Another favorable characteristic of our nation, it promotes citizens getting involved and using their rights to make an everlasting change. Due to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a Montgomery federal court ruled any law that required racially segregated seating on buses was a clear and present violation of the 14th Amendment. By showing there can a positive outcome from actions taken that are protected by the First Amendment, it encourages others to exercise the rights that protect them as well.

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/nonviolence

While we discussed an event that advanced the cause of civil rights, a person who had a great role to play in this era was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Notorious for his influential speech "I Have a Dream," MLK Jr. spoke frequently of his practices using nonviolence. King stated he was "fascinated by the idea of refusing to cooperate with an evil system". King referred to nonviolence as a theory that can be applied to many situations and can serve us as a "guiding light". 

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington

MLK Jr. played an important role in the March on Washington which was another event that used the concept of nonviolence to positively impact the Civil Rights Era. The March on Washington was a massive protest march in which MLK Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream Speech," while the event was created in an effort to draw attention to the inequalities faced by African Americans. The March on Washington was met by approval of JFK Jr. who was serving his term of president at the time. JFK Jr. was in full support of the march as long as it did not end in violence. 

Many safety precautions were taken for the March. JFK Jr. had his brother and attorney general, Robert F. Kennedy, coordinate with many organizers to ensure all safety precautions were taken. In addition, the original plan for the march was to have the end point be the Capitol however, the final destination was changed to the Lincoln Memorial in an effort to prevent members of Congress feel as if they were under attack. At the end of the march, MLK Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech which would later turn into a landmark event in the Civil Rights Era. 

These events are events in which the actions of the people partaking in them were protected by the 1st Amendment. If there were no laws in place protecting our freedoms during the Civil Rights Era, the era would have been short lived. Although many important laws were not yet passed for this era, the 1st Amendment had enough protection for the U.S. citizen to protest and encourage change.

Mock Trial Plessy v Ferguson

An important part of the 1890s was the economy. The economy greatly impacted the way of life and the culture many Americans experienced. This decade happened to begin with a recession that luckily  turned into prosperity; however a big reason the recession turned into prosperity was the presidential election of 1896. Due to the fact that our nation was in a recession amid the election, both candidates focused heavily on setting a plan for the nation to get out of the recession.

                                                    

Economics

The 1890s were referred to as the “Reconstruction Era” or the “Gilded Age''. The 1890s began with the Panic of 1893 which is referred to as the worst economic depression the country has ever faced. The Panic of 1893 occurred due to the fall of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and the National Cordage Company. Shortly after the fall of these two companies, the stock market crashed. During the panic many companies decided to cut wages which angered many workers. Boycotts and strikes became a common event to occur throughout the 90s. Unemployment rates increased to 20-25% and many compare the economic recession to the Great Depression. As the state of the economy worsened, people quickly removed their money from banks and there was a drop in credit. All investments during the panic had extremely high interest payments. All together about 15,000 companies and 500 banks failed or went bankrupt. Due to the difficulty many Americans experienced in paying their mortgage payments, many newly built houses were vacant.

Politics

The presidential election of 1896 was referred to as the “republican realignment”. Republican candidate William McKinley defeated democratic candidate William Brian. A large conflict presented in the election of 1896, was whether silver should be allowed to back American currency or not. As a member of Congress, McKinley supported free silver but as a presidential candidate, he supported the gold standard. Brian had a goal of “free silver” which means he supported the unlimited coinage of silver, while Mckinley focused on imposing high tariffs on imports because he felt that is what would lead the nation to prosperity. McKinley focused on tailoring to the needs of businessmen, professionals, farmers, and skilled factory workers with his conservative ideals. On the other hand, Bryan's campaign focused on pinning up the working man against the rich, which isolated many conservatives. McKinley was strongest in the Northeast, Midwest, and the Pacific Coast. Brian was strongest in the south, the rural Midwest, and Rocky Mountain states. McKinley won the electoral vote with 271 as opposed to Brian’s 176 and also the popular vote with 51% as opposed to Brian’s 46.7%. The turnout for this presidential election was high, with over 90% of eligible voters coming out. This election marked the end of the third party system and the beginning of the fourth party system. 

The economic and political climate of the 1890s was a combination of lows and prosperity. Many communities became more interested in bettering the state of our nation. There were many economic, political, and social events to bring communities together looking for a way to make the nation prosper.

David Walker

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2930.html

Born in Wilmington, North Carolina was me, a young David Walker. My mother raised me, as a free woman, while my father died (enslaved) before getting the chance. My mother taught me from a young age that everything happens for a reason because had my father been alive to this day, I would have inherited his status as a slave. While I did feel lucky to not be enslaved, that did not stop me from witnessing the horrid truth that was slavery. Oftentimes, I found it hard to bear the treatment of my people simply for their skin color. I could not remain where I must hear slaves. 

As I grew older I wanted to feel a stronger connection to a community of activists, so I moved to Charleston which became a hotspot for free blacks. Soon I became affiliated with an African Methodist Episcopal Church which was the first black denomination of the United States. While I enjoyed my time in Charleston, I decided I wanted to experience Northern culture and move to Boston in 1825. 

While Boston was nothing like the south regarding racism, it was nowhere near perfect. African American children were forced to attend schools with lower rankings and African Americans were not allowed to serve on juries. On the other hand, I was able to start my very own secondhand clothing shop which became very successful especially for a Black man that did not have many advantages in this life. Levels of activism in Boston were high which fueled my passion for fighting for what I knew in my heart was right. 

https://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/walker/bio.html

As I became more comfortable in Boston, I began attending more churches, speaking out, and getting my point across. Leading slaves to freedom, opposing colonization of African Americans, and speaking out against slavery was my specialty. By the end of 1828, many considered me to be Boston’s leading spokesperson against slavery.

What would my next step be? My mother always taught me to never be comfortable, always push for greatness and never settle. My goal has always been to make my parents proud especially my dad since he never got the chance to raise me. I wanted him to look down and be proud of the man I have become regardless of what I have been through. I began to ask myself the question, how can I educate a mass number of people on my beliefs? Then it dawned on me, I should publish. First I began with publishing my appeal to African Americans entitled, “Walker’s Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble to the Colored Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America, Written in Boston, State of Massachusetts, September 28,1829.” In this piece, I highlighted core issues, call to action, white Americans, and black nationalism. The reaction of this piece was a mix. Many felt it was “too radical”, many southerners made efforts to keep my piece from free and enslaved African Americans. While the immediate reaction had a rocky start, the lasting influence was even greater. Several abolitionists such as Frederick Douglas, MLK Jr., Nat Turner, and Malcolm X would later be influenced by my work.

https://www.boston.gov/news/david-walker-bostons-fiery-anti-slavery-writer

I never settled, I never got comfortable, I always strived for greatness and to be better than the day before. I encourage you all to do that as I encouraged my one and only daughter before she passed just last week. I missed the chance to get to tell my beloved Lydia Ann the story of my life, so I am telling you all.

Sincerely, David Walker

Bible Team Challenge (Keliese Demetrius and Darla Zisa)

 

                                                            

                                    https://time.com/5171819/christianity-slavery-book-excerpt/

From the first century up until the civil war, the Bible was often used as a tool to justify slavery. Saint Augustine thought that slavery was inevitable, he believed it was the consequence of sin and the Fall of Man. The Ten Commandments mention slavery twice, which can be interpreted as God’s acceptance.

                                
                                                    

The Christian Faith condemned the use of slaves for many reasons. Genesis 21:9-10 states, “Abraham, the ‘father of faith,’ and all the patriarchs held slaves without God’s disapproval.” This goes to show that the followers of the faith held slaves regardless if it went against the word of God. People felt that slavery “stood as an insitution of God”. Christians were very passionate for slavery and used slaves to point out that Jesus would never speak against it. On the other hand, many like to claim that Christians felt very passionate about the abolition movement. Regardless of the number of Christians who condonded slavery, the numbe rof christians who condemed it was still very apparent. During this time period, Christians statements and feelings speaking out against slavery increased. Whereas many slave owners had a feeling of immense power. Slave Owners were aware that the experience of a slave (positive or negative) was their responsibility.

                                                  34699e8e-6512-11e9-82ba-fcfeff232e8f_story.html

The Christian Faith condemned the use of slaves for many reasons. Genesis 21:9-10 states, “Abraham, the ‘father of faith,’ and all the patriarchs held slaves without God’s disapproval.” This goes to show that the followers of the faith held slaves regardless if it went against the word of God. People felt that slavery “stood as an insitution of God”. Christians were very passionate for slavery and used slaves to point out that Jesus would never speak against it. On the other hand, many like to claim that Christians felt very passionate about the abolition movement. Regardless of the number of Christians who condonded slavery, the numbe rof christians who condemed it was still very apparent. During this time period, Christians statements and feelings speaking out against slavery increased. Whereas many slave owners had a feeling of immense power. Slave Owners were aware that the experience of a slave (positive or negative) was their responsibility.

As Christians often used the bible in a way to justify the slavery and the act of owning them, there were also instances were Christians felt the bible spoke out against it. Not every Christian was in favor of slavery, the conflict was very spilt and even on both sides. The main issue was the interpretation of the bible to condemn or condone slavery was often contradictory and hypocritical. 

The Supreme Court

                                                                     The Supreme Court

https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/about

The Supreme Court is the most powerful judicial body and the highest court in the federal judiciary. The cases presented to the Supreme Court are typically cases in controversy from lower supreme courts. Nine justices make up the current Supreme Court with  one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. Each justice is assisted by a small staff of secret agents. The court has something called “lifetime tenure” in which every justice gets to remain on the court until they resign, retire, or die. While justices are granted lifetime tenure, the average term served by a justice is 16 years. Each justice is nominated by the President and confirmed by the senate. The power of the Supreme Court rests in the hands of public faith. The court holds the power of judicial review which means they have the power to call something out that they feel invalidates the constitution.

                                                                        Opinion Writing

                                               https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/opinions.aspx

The term “opinions” in the Supreme Court means writing that is done by the justices. The court publishes over 5000 opinions each year and opinion writing is the most time consuming duty of the justices. The average Supreme Court opinion is 4,751 words and about 75 opinions are issued every year. Opinions play a vital role in protecting the liberties guaranteed, making opinion writing so time consuming. Voting takes place to decide who in the court will be the Justice voted upon by a majority to write the opinion of the court. Each of these opinions state the court's reasoning and their judgement.