Blog #8 Privacy Online and Off

Blog Post #8 Privacy Online and Off 

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Never before in history have we seen such a unique issue questioning how the First Amendment relates to privacy and how and if the government should be more involved in this issue. Just like in the past problems such as voting, citizenship, discrimination, suppression of speech, food regulation, workplace regulation, etc. called the government in for government intervention. This issue of privacy on and offline needs to be handled and is the current issue that the government should focus on tackling before it becomes even more out of hand.  Fortunately, people such as those speaking at TED Talks are discussing these issues and solutions in order to protect the average citizen. 

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Juan Enriquez in his TED talk discusses tattoos and just like tattoos, we are making our permanent electronic tattoos. Companies are using facial recognition and selling this information to other companies in order to help them better advertise to consumers. He pointed out how social media is creating immortality as once someone moves on technology still allows them to live. Enriquez said that we must learn from the Greeks and Latin America and follow these lessons: be careful what you post, don't look into the past of those you love too much, don't let social media distract you from your life, don't fall in love with your own reflection, and immortality is the true threat and not mortality. 

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Catherine Crump discusses how small-town police departments are gaining access to advanced military weapons as well as surveillance that should not be used on the local level. There is nothing preventing the government from overstepping into our private lives and since they are able to, they will and have. The government can track our location, our face, our posts, etc, and combine all this information into giant databases. I am from Northern Virginia, which is sometimes referred to as the second Silicon Valley as there are so many tech companies and databases in the area that are filled with computers and other electronics with all of our information on them. What we are currently seeing is an abuse of power where civil liberties are being threatened. Laws need to be implemented on how to use technology properly and to protect privacy.

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Christopher Soghoian mentions how some companies such as Apple or WhatsApp protect their citizen's information and they themselves cannot even see what a text message says. This is what should happen with all technology companies as people are able to freely talk without the risk of being wiretapped by the government or other outside actors. For example, people in the southeast are now able to communicate via WhatsApp without fear of government intervention in their private conversations. Soghoian said that there is no way to control who gets in the back door, so there should be no way for anyone to get in the backdoor, which may make it harder for police to catch buy guys but protects the average citizen's privacy. 

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Darieth Chisolm, a victim of digital domestic violence, talks about how domestic violence is now taking over the digital world. With technology, we have seen a rise in nudes and pornographic imagery being shared across the internet and we are now facing issues of revenge porn and leaked nude images which are ruining people's careers one picture at a time. In fact, 1 in 25 women have been impacted by digital domestic violence and 1 in 10 women under the age of 30 have. There is a lack of regulation when it comes to issues such as these. Movies such as The Social Dilemma and The Sound of Freedom point out these issues. 

Blog Post #2

Blog Post #2

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The Supreme Court of the United States is a unique and vital part of the American political system. No other country has a system similar to the United States where measures are implemented in order to maintain control of the government so they do not assume too much power. The Supreme Court is the final and one of the most important parts of the United States' check and balance system. 

I had never really thought about the number of justices that have served. Justices serve for life making it very honorable if you get nominated. I consider it even more honorable than being elected President; however, more people can name the President than Surpeme Court Justices. A majority of the court has been elected in my lifetime, which made it seem as if it was a frequent event, but it is really not. There have only been 100 justices who serve an average of 16 years. 

By reading the History Channel Supreme Court overview, I learned that only one judge was impeached and also that it is not explicitly mentioned that justices have to serve for life. I also learned that over the course of time, they changed the amount of justices who served on the court ranging anywhere from 5 - 10, and I personally did not know that there was ever an even number of judges on the court. 

One of the most important take away was the fact that this is such a unique and meticulously set up system. One of the most surprising things I learned was the fact that President Taft served as a justice as well as a president, which I think is interesting considering that justices are not supposed to be affiliated with a political party. The article made me realize how much effort and thought the Founders put into this system of government. 

Blog Post #3

 BLOG POST #3 — Write a post based on the directions above. This is a KEY POST of at least 500 words. Be sure to think about hallmarks of a good blog post — links to sources, visuals, point of view. Be expressive and share your thoughts! Make this one special!

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Every day the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights plays a crucial role in American society. It is one of the many things that makes America unique. Freedom is one of the core values in American society, and when the colonists came to America, they sought religious freedom. America would not be America without the First Amendment. Not only is freedom of and from religion outlined in the First Amendment, but also freedom of press, speech, assembly, and petition.

There are eight values of free expression including: 

    1. Marketplace of Ideas

    2. Participation in Self-Government

    3. Stable Change

    4. Individual Self-Fulfillment

    5. Check on Governmental Power

    6. Promote Tolerance

    7. Promote Innovation

    8. Protect Dissent 

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Personally, I believe that the check on governmental power is the most important of the eight values of free expression as this is the primary design of the American political system. The First Amendment, just like the Second Amendment and other Amendments, serve as a method of how citizens can rise up against a tyrannical government. It is a form of protection against these tyrancial forms of government, so that America will not turn into a society such as the one George Orwell describes in 1984. The First Amendment allows citizens to speak up about things they see and share them with the world, so they are discussed and do not go unnoticed. 

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Media has always played such a vital role in America's history whether it be newspapers discussing historical events or TV programs allowing all citizens to see what is happening in the world such as during the Civil Rights movement. When Americans actually started seeing what was happening on the streets during the Civil Rights Movement, the movement actually started as people started talking about it and doing something about it. The media also played such an important role during the Vietnam War as the Pentagon Papers were leaked to the New York Times revealing the truth about what was happening in Vietnam. This is the power and the proper role of the media. 

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However, today we are seeing the media overstepping and causing more negative effects than positive. Not surprisingly, the media has become monopolies and are in it for the money and do not necessarily care about the harm caused on the way.  The movie The Social Dilemma does a fantastic job of describing the problems with big tech companies today. We are seeing a rise in social media causing mental health issues among the youth, and no check has been placed on these big tech corporations. These corporations are no longer a "governmental watchdog" but rather a hindrance to society as not only are they contributing to the mental health crisis in America, but also are using various algorithms to hide certain opinions from their viewers. 

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This is exactly why checks on governmental power are so important as it is something that is not prioritized as it once was. The monopolized news organizations are truly only showing one side to stories, but luckily we are seeing other news organizations step up and share conservative views such as the Daily Wire or people like Dinesh D'Souza. The media "watchdog" is an essential part of America's check and balance system in order to prevent a tyrannical government from assuming too much power. If the media "watchdog" is not prioritized anymore, we will lose America.

Blog Post #1

 BLOG POST #1  Tell us about your TOP FIVE SOURCES OF NEWS AND INFORMATION. Link to them so we can check them out. Write ONE PARAGRAPH for EACH ONE telling us why you like them and why you would recommend them to us.

1. Fox News 

   
   
   

1. Fox News is a known conservative news organization. I have the FoxNews app on my phone and follow them on Instagram. With my busy schedule, it is nice to get notifications about when there is breaking news or something I should be aware of rather than just relying on social media. As a student and student leader, it is very hard to try and stay informed, so I used breaking news notifications to stay aware of various events. Depending on what is happening in the world, possibly read the news story more in order to have a better understanding. I believe it is a well-known organization that is reliable, hence my recommendation.

2. Newsmax

   
   
   

1. Newsmax is also a known conservative news organization. I know their political bias and take their articles with a grain of salt, but I like to know what is happening in the world from a conservative view. I also use the Newsmax app on my phone to check for breaking news and update myself on United States and world events. I compare what I read from Newsmax with Fox News in order to help form my own opinion on issues. Because of their learning, I will see what they are prioritizing on their website, app, and social media and do research on it using other websites. I do this in order to stay well roundly informed. 

3. Heritage Foundation  

   
   
   

1. The Heritage Foundation is a non-partisan think tank. Their mission is “to formulate and promote public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.” I like using their website and articles to find out about how various conservatives are thinking about specific policies and other political issues. The Heritage Foundation is useful for those who are interested in political issues or doing research for projects on various political issues. 

4. Poplitics  

   
   
   

1. Poplitics is not a news organization, but rather a show run by Turning Point USA. The host, Alex Clark, discusses various pop culture hot-button topics dealing with anything from celebrities to movies. There is no political leaning even though it comes from Turning Point USA. It is a great easy way for me to stay up to date on pop culture and be aware of what is happening in society. Turning Point USA describes it as: “a daily show for those who love pop culture - without the propaganda.” 

5. Peers

1. This is not necessarily a source, but a way for me to determine what is being talked about in society. I use my peers and what they are talking about and posting about in order to see what I should be paying attention to and researching whether it be news or pop culture related. This is also helpful as I get to see what’s talked about in different settings and within different age groups. I listen to what people are discussing and if it relates to current events, I will look it up later and research it.