The Supreme Court: They Can't Avoid Controversy

The judicial branch is seemingly the most overlooked branch, yet it is compromised of some of the most powerful people in the United States today. The Supreme Court, made up of 9 Supreme Court justices, holds power over the likes of senators, representatives, and even the President of the United States. 

The Dred Scott Case

"The court had no power to ban slavery and that blacks could never be citizens." I was interested to learn about the Dred Scott case and how much it affected not only the reputation of the Supreme Court but the authority they held for years to come. Thinking about how powerful the Supreme Court is and then hearing that they said blacks could never be citizens left me shocked. Although times were different back then, it is horrifying to see people with so much power induce so much hate.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

"Remember that we the people was composed of a very small part of the people." This quote stuck with me throughout the entirety of the videos and even after I watched them. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an iconic Supreme Court justice who spearheaded equal rights for all people, but especially women, throughout her time on the court. This video helped me to realize how strong her impact was ever since the beginning of her career as a Supreme Court justice. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a trailblazer, an icon, and a hero for people all over the world.

How Many Cases?

Lastly, I could not wrap my head around how many cases arrive to the supreme court. About 100 cases are sent per week to the Supreme Court. The amount of time and work that the justices have to put in is obviously insurmountable, however it wasn't until hearing the actual number that I realized how remarkable the number is. 

5 Top News Sources

 Getting news that is beneficial to everybody can be slightly difficult nowadays. The real and full truth seems rare with big news outlets and bias is destined to be present. Many people including myself have fallen into this trap, and rely solely on news sources such as CNN or Fox.

As mentioned, this is something that I admittedly have struggled with. Until really thinking about how bias certain news sources could be, I used the same exact websites to get information. I am still working on finding good, reliable sources that I like, so for this blog, I am going to explain my previous top 5 news sources before taking this class.

1. CNN

As someone who shares similar beliefs with CNN reporters, I feel that this source is an easy way to get information that I am interested in, especially when it focuses on issues that are relevant to me or what I believe in. It is much easier to read an article to agree with and can relate to, hence the reason I would always get information from CNN.

2. E! News

In the future, I plan to work for the entertainment industry, so I am constantly looking on the E! News app for updates on popular culture, celebrities, Hollywood, etc. Although this is not as relevant news as you would get from other sources, E! News is perhaps the most relevant to me and to what I aspire to do. 

3. Twitter

Twitter is a source that I know can be unreliable, therefore I use it to see main article headlines and then do further research using other sources. Twitter is a very quick way to stay updated on what is going on as you can see so many different news headlines. It is an easy way to get information without having to do much research.

4. Entertainment Tonight

Similar to E! News, I check Entertainment Tonight about once per day to stay updated on what is happening in the entertainment industry. As the entertainment host for our campus' talk show, I am constantly keeping myself informed about what is going on so I can talk about it live every week.

5. NBC News

Growing up, my family always had NBC News on in the morning. This was my first exposure to news and I have stuck with the source even today. I feel that it is a more reliable and less bias source than CNN or Fox, however it still covers the same information in the same time frame.

I am definitely working on finding less bias sources and this course has helped me to realize how important unbiased news is. Even though I still use these sources, I have began to move away for bias and move towards truth because it is so important to know what is going on in the world, even if its not from. a similar viewpoint of mine.