Antiwar Voices Do Exist

For as long as I can remember I have never read or heard any material that covers information from an “antiwar” voice. I can vividly remember sitting in my 8th grade history class and hear my teacher boasting on how great our troops were doing in other countries to protect us, when in reality they were killing innocent civilians including women and children. Even in the news I have never seen a perspective that goes against war.

 

It is frustrating to live in a country whose media portrays a false sense of what is going on overseas because it is not the absolute truth. One story posted on Antiwar.com highlights the withdrawing of US troops in Afghanistan. Uninvolving ourselves (United States) is a great idea because it would allow Afghanistan to shape their own future but this idea “struck terror” to many in Washington. This is because all arms makers and former generals will no longer be supported financially by the government. Many cannot accept the idea that withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan will bring peace among the two nations and allow them to positively grow and change.

A positive change for the United States could be forming better relationships with countries in Central Asia since they will no longer be in control on those soils. In addition, US troops can be useful in places where needed, not to illegally torture innocent civilians. Afghanistan will be able to grow tremendously and improve living conditions without war. They can also focus on progressing their own military for better usage. Diplomats from the United States and Afghanistan negotiated for the “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is not recognized by the United States as a state and is known as the Taliban, and the United States of America.” This deal means that American troops will leave by May, 2021 and the Taliban will guarantee to never allow any group “to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.”

 

I think it is bizarre that you have to seek out obscure websites in order to hear strong antiwar voices. I feel as though if I were introduced to these voices in my early education I would not automatically believe what the media is feeding me. I want to continue to educate myself and others on the importance of antiwar voices and the damage that is being covered up by our news and media.

Find out more info below:

https://www.antiwar.com/

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/web-categories/realism-restraint/

The Six Clauses and Bedrock Principles seen Today

 

When we think about the first amendment of the constitution of the United States the first thing to (usually) pop up is “freedom of speech”. There are six clauses within the first amendment and so much more than these clauses that are applied. The six clauses or freedoms are freedom of religion, from religion, assembly, press, speech, and petition for address of grievances. In addition to these freedoms there are three bedrock principles that lay down the fundamental ideas of the clauses.

The Three Bedrock Principles:

1) First amendment protection is not absolute.

2) First Amendment protection is not a shield against laws of general applicability

3) Freedom of the press is a “fundamental right” not an institutional one.

These three principles are found in many media sources today and I want to outline how they are seen in today’s news! This article represents how speech and action may be inciting violence and how the first amendment may come into play.

1) First amendment protection is not absolute.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538246-trumps-alleged-incitement-brings-first-amendment-into-focus?rl=1

This article published by John Kruzel focuses on Trump’s Incitement and how the first amendment was brought into focus. Kruzel writes, “In a legal trial, the line between protected speech and unprotected incitement hinges on three elements: intent, plus the immediacy and likelihood of lawlessness.” It is important to think about this principal in terms of protected speech and how it is seen in the media in the past and today.

When I think of the first principle of how the first amendment protection is not absolute I think of examples such as shouting fire in a theater or directly threatening the president. This example and many others like it are read daily and it is important to analyze it with a first amendment lens.

Find out more info below:

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538246-trumps-alleged-incitement-brings-first-amendment-into-focus?rl=1

Supreme Court History & Workings

I feel as though I could spend the rest of my life learning all about the Supreme Court! Before viewing these videos I thought I knew a good amount of information about it but I was proven wrong in 20 short minutes! I feel as though our judiciary system in America has many layers and the Supreme Court needs to be unraveled. 

I want to point out that the Supreme Court is the highest level court in the United States. There are also a lot of other nations that base their judiciary systems on the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is made up of 9 justices who are carefully selected and approved by the President and Senate. There are thousands of cases that are brought up to the Supreme Court every year but only about 100 cases are accepted and brought to trial. This shows how serious their position is because the justices get to decide what cases are most important. With this, I think it is important to note that they have the power to dismiss or "silence" cases too.  

I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for the justices because of the work they do. Out of the hundreds of million of Americans that live in the United States only 9 get the title of "justice". I thought it was very interesting how in the video they explained that "being appointed to the supreme court is a kin to being struck by lightning". The current chief justices are John G. Roberts (chief), Clarence thomas, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel A. Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. 

Find out More Info Below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWRoXYRsaeo&feature=youtu.be

https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx

https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/members_text.aspx

My Top 5 News Sources!

As a student in the school of communications it is imperative that I follow news sources that depict the truth. I often times find myself learning news through (sometimes unreliable) sources when scrolling through social media but often check with better news sources! In this post I will show you my top 5 most used news sources. 

SNAPCHAT: 

I have been using Snapchat for over 5 years to stay connected with friends. Snapchat has updated many features throughout the years which includes a "Spotlight" page with various news outlets. I often find myself scrolling through The Daily Mail, Buzzfeed, & Cosmopolitan. These are more entertainment based news sources but I enjoy these the most!

CNN:

CNN is a news source that I have watched a lot of videos on. This is where I get a majority of news from regarding whats going on in the world. I like how fast CNN provides coverage on events because other platforms & news channels are a little delayed. 

NPR:

Growing up my Dad often listened to NPR during long car rides. In high school I had a few teachers often reference NPR for the latest news concerning politics too. Even though I don't keep up with NPR all the time someone in my life always is. 

TIKTOK:

TikTok has been consuming a lot of my time recently. The videos displayed on my "for you" page have no specific category and range from fashion, travel, food, & news! During the election I would see a lot of videos about the candidates which was interesting because there were many diverse views on so many diffrent topics. I can't say it is my most reliable source, but I enjoy it the most!

TWITTER:

Twitter is a platform that I have been using on & off for the past few years. I feel that it is more opinion based & I enjoy seeing peoples views on different topics. I follow a lot of my friends & sports accounts so I don't see a lot of news but I often explore the trending page to keep up. 

Find out more info below:

https://www.snapchat.com/download

https://www.cnn.com/

https://www.npr.org/

https://www.tiktok.com/en/

https://about.twitter.com/en_us.html