Post 3: First Amendment Rights Applying to Black Lives Matter Protests

     Time recently came out with an article titled "These Black Lives Matter Protesters Had No Idea How One Arrest Could Alter Their Lives." In the beginning of the article it specifically focuses on the experience of a 24-year-old African American man named D'Angelo Sandidge and how his effort "to find camaraderie among people who can relate to his pain" turned into being arrested and going to jail. After finding out about the injustice done to George Floyd on June 1, 2020, Sandidge decided to make a poster that read, "no justice, no peace, no calmness in the street" and headed to a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Indianapolis. That night, D'Angelo was arrested and accused of violating curfew and resisting arrest by fleeing. According to the police, D'Angelo tried reaching into his backpack which had, "a taser and a can of bear spray" as he fled from them. However, D'Angelo claims that these are items he always carries for self-protection. He ended up not being charged for the curfew violation, but he "faces up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 if convicted of resisting arrest." Even if it turns out to be a misdemeanor, the charge will still show up on his permanent record. 

    This situation is tricky, because D'Angelo was exercising his First Amendment rights of speech, peaceful assembly, and petition, but he was also breaking the law by violating a curfew enforced by the government. What makes this even trickier is that he ended up not being charged for the curfew violation but for resisting arrest instead. However, if the police weren't going to arrest him for the law he actually broke then it doesn't seem like they should be able to charge him for running away when he was just peacefully protesting which is not a crime. There is not enough information to say whether D'Angelo became physical or violent while at the protest, but assuming he was standing there peacefully holding a sign, then the First Amendment should protect his rights in this situation. While the bedrock principals of the First Amendment state that protection is not absolute and that it is not a shield against laws of general applicability, I don't think that what D'Angelo did was controversial or questionable enough for those principals to apply in the first place. I think it would be a different story if the police decided to arrest him for breaking curfew which is a legitimate crime, but just standing at a protest with a sign should not be considered a crime that isn't protected by the First Amendment. I do think it's important to keep in mind that the whole story might not have been covered in the article, so there is a chance that D'Angelo did in fact take action in ways that are not protected by the First Amendment and are considered illegal and warranting of an arrest. Also, while he could have just had the taser and can of bear spray for self-protection like he claimed to, I don't think it is wrong for the police to at least look into the suspicious situation since there's a chance he could have potentially used the items for harm too. Overall, I would say that there is not enough information to know the truth of the situation, but assuming the story was how D'Angelo explained, he had every right to protest the way he was without getting arrested or having his First Amendment rights violated. 

News Source: https://time.com/5880229/arrests-black-lives-matter-protests-impact/

                                                         Courtesy D'Angelo Sandidge 

Post 2: The History and Workings of the Supreme Court

 Overview: The Supreme Court of the United States, which is the highest federal court in the United States, was established by the U.S Constitution to act as the head of the judicial branch of government. The job of the Supreme Court is to have jurisdiction over all the laws in the United States and to determine the constitutionality of these laws. The Supreme Court also has the power to keep the other two branches of government, the executive and legislative branches, in check. 

History: The Supreme Court was originally established in 1789 when it was written into Article Three of the U.S Constitution. Article Three also gave congress "the power to create inferior federal courts,"and to "decide the organization of the Supreme Court." This power of the legislative branch was first exercised with the Judiciary Act of 1789 which George Washington signed. This law stipulated that the Supreme Court would consist of six justices who would serve until the retired or passed away. Although the first court had six seats, Congress has altered the number many times throughout the years and finally settled on nine seats which it still has today. The court had its first meeting on February 2, 1790 at the Merchants Exchange Building in New York City, however it never actually took any cases during its first term. The first time the six justices handed down their decision was on August 3, 1791 for the West v. Barnes case which involved a farmer and a family he owed money to. For more than 100 years after the establishment of the Supreme Court the justices were required to hold circuit court twice a year due to the travel methods, but this rule was abolished in 1891 by Congress.

Supreme Court Justices: In order to become a Supreme Court justice the President of the United States has to nominate someone and then that person is either confirmed or denied by the U.S Senate. The justices in the first Supreme court were John Jay, John Rutledge, William Cushing, John Blair, Robert Harrison, and James Wilson. The chief justice is considered the highest judicial officer in the nation and holds the responsibility of presiding over the Supreme Court and handling the weekly schedule for the justice's meetings. When the chief justice is in the majority party during a case, "the justice has the authority to assign who will write the courts opinion."Additionally, the chief justice heads impeachment trials against the President of the United States.  Currently, the justices in the Supreme Court are Chief Justice John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh. 

Cases: The Supreme Court has taken on many cases over the years which have left a lasting impact on the nation. Some of the most notable cases are Dred Scott v. Sandford which denied citizenship to African Americans in 1857, Plessy v. Ferguson which upheld state segregation laws in 1896, and the Engel v. Vitale which ruled that prayer initiated in public schools violated First Amendment rights in 1962. 

Post 1: My News Sources

1. One of the main places I get the news of the day is from NBC's show called "Stay Tuned" on Snapchat. I like this source because it quickly shares all of the most prevalent news and it's easy to access because it shows up on Snapchat's discovery page. For the most part this show stays fairly unbiased politically even though the rest of NBC's shows tend to promote left-wing politics. I usually prefer getting my news and information from sources that aren't trying to push certain political agendas one way or another, so I find this to be a great option. I would recommend this show as an option for people who want to know about breaking news but only have a few minutes to spend researching it. "Stay Tuned" is also a great option for people with short attention spans, because the news anchors are very engaging and explain situations very clearly and concisely. NBC has done a great job at making a news show that reaches younger people well and helps them to stay up to date on the news and what is going on in the country. 

  

https://www.nbcnews.com/

 
2. One of the other main sources I get my news from is Evie Magazine. I really like this website, because they are thorough with their research and they are good at presenting facts and staying nonpartisan. I like to be informed about news without a lot of the political agendas that are on most other news sites, and I find that Evie does the best job at staying impartial with political news. I also like reading Evie's content because they always finish their articles with a heartfelt conclusion that ties everything together and recaps what can be learned from the situation. This adds a sincerity to the closings that are not found in most other news articles. I would recommend Evie Magazine to women who are wanting to stay well informed and enjoy writers who are quick-witted, smart, and satirical. While Evie is predominately for women, men can also enjoy their articles. Evie is great for anyone who has ten or fifteen minutes on their hand to take time and become well acquainted with political and cultural events. They are especially a good option for people who don't want political agendas in their news and for people who lean right politically. 

 https://www.eviemagazine.com/

3. Business of Fashion is another site I go to a lot for news related to the fashion and cosmetics industry. Fashion related topics tend to be what I'm most interested in and Business of Fashion has a lot of articles on every aspect of the industry from what designers are doing to how politics are effecting the industry. Since I am a fashion merchandising minor, it is important that I stay informed on what is happening in the fashion industry. I find that Business of Fashion does a great job covering the news for all facets of the business. All the articles are a reasonable length which is another reason I like reading their articles. I would recommend Business of Fashion as a news source for anyone who is interested in fashion, or anyone who wants to know how politics and the economy influence what is happening in fashion. Clothing trends often reflect what is happening in a society, and Business of Fashion is great at explaining why and how trends reflect the zeitgeist of the current and past eras.

 https://www.businessoffashion.com/

4. If I'm wanting to find out information about the entertainment industry and Hollywood, then I'll usually watch the E! News Snapchat show called "The Rundown." The host of the show is high-energy and entertaining and she is able to cover all of the news in just a couple minutes. Since news about the entertainment industry isn't what I'm most interested in being informed about, I don't take as much time to read articles on the subject. This is why I like getting all the information I need to know just by watching this show for a few minutes on Snapchat. The show is also very enjoyable to watch, because the host is  amusing. I would recommend this show to younger people who are wanting to keep up with celebrity gossip and news about what is going on in Hollywood. The show's lighthearted humor is appealing to younger generations, and since this news isn't as important as political news, it's nice that it is presented in a more upbeat way than most other news shows. 

https://www.eonline.com/

5. The last source I get a lot of my news from is my family. Both my dad and sister are very interested in politics, so they are always researching what is happening in the news. I find them to be very trustworthy resources, because they always make sure they have accurate information before sharing it. I recommend going to them for the news, because they are both very good at clearly explaining what is happening in the news. They are also good to go to, because they are nonjudgemental so if you don't understand a situation or you have an unpopular opinion they will discuss it with you without making you feel stupid or like your opinion is irrelevant.