Never Stay Silent

The Supreme Court has not always held such an authoritative presence in the country, but rather was founded with humble beginnings; starting in the stuffy basement of the Capitol building. The Branch was not respected within the newfound land of the United States, in fact, the only statement of the court in the Constitution was that "There will be a Supreme Court." Many were invited, and many rejected the offers of the positions in the newfound Supreme Court. The Supreme Court only gained its authority through the court case Marbury v. Madison, when Supreme Court Chief Justice Marshall voted in favor of Madison, yet remained a firm grip upon the federalist stronghold by declaring that no action may be authorized outside of the constitution. This action by Marshall gained a foothold for the Supreme Court's authority and this decision was responsible for its recognition. Throughout the last two centuries, our federal court has faced several tribulations such as dealing ...

"Whoever controlled the press held the best position to control the minds of men." In today's America, I find that we have several similarities between our media coverage now and from the partisan era. Since the increased availability of mass media introduced in the 15th century, political press and agenda has been used to sway the public mind towards one belief or another.  Today, we find ourselves in a more politically divided nation than ever; although not all of us Americans may hold radical leftist or rightist views, we each hold our views strongly and are quick to judge those who oppose us. Although there are public sources of news and media, you need to have an audience in mind to direct to. People ultimately want to hear what they want to believe, even if that costs some of the truth. News stations which relays true, unbiased information than rather FOX or CNN who give their expected audience exactly what they want to hear. The stories are shifted in such...

"Our country is the world - our countrymen are mankind." -William L. Garrison On December 10, 1805 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, William Lloyd Garrison took his first breath. William would not grow up like the rest of the children he knew, being able to attend a traditional school and being able to play with friends and return to a fortunate and loving home, he would spend his days scavenging and begging neighbors to provide food for himself and just a bit more for his family; William's goal was to survive. At the age of three his father left the home, leaving his mother to provide for him and his siblings. When she could not provide the best for what potential she saw in him, eventually William would be given to the church, where he lived with a Baptist deacon who provided him with a stable education. At the age of 13, he was appointed a seven year internship as a writer and editor under the wing of Ephraim W. Allen, editor for the Newburyport Herald.  Turning 20,...

There is truth out there for those who search for it; we have always been under the acclimation of thought that pursuing truth can lead to peace, yet for journalists and the common individual, seeking the truth may cost your life. The mission of a journalist is to report the truth, a true journalist should not be afraid to expose the wrongdoings of large corporations or the government. There are three different party sources in the instance of a whistle-blower; the government is the first source, the whistle-blower is the second, and the journalist is the third party source. Since it is unconstitutional and against the law for the government to prevent the public (journalist) from speaking (this is called prior restraint), the third party receives the information about the first party from the whistle-blower and gathers the information and releases the information to the public. In 2006, journalist Julian Assange created WikiLeaks, which is a website open for hackers and reporters ...