The Most Powerful Judicial Body- The Supreme Court of the U.S.

Last class, we watch a video about the history of the Supreme Court and here's what I learned...

In 1801, the government moved to Washington D.C.

Petitions arrive day by day, all year long.

Every day, these justices work hard to review a variety of cases on their own and refer back to the 200-year-old Constitution to provide a final outcome. In history, there have been over 100 Supreme Court justices and most justices serve for an average of 16 years.

Joining the court can be humbling, but also "akin to being struck by lightning," said one Justice. Being a justice is very stressful and intimidating. "We are quiet, but its the quiet of a storm center. The power rests on the public face."

After the Civil War, the constitution was amended to abolish slavery, define citizenship, and grant voting rights. After the Constitution was made, the bill of rights was added, which included the amendments. Before our time, women were unable to vote, slavery was a major issue, Native Americans were treated unfairly, and more.

The 14th amendment told the states they can not deny due process of law or equal protection of the law to any citizen. The 19th amendment allowed women the right to vote.

The Supreme Court refers to the Constitution when needing to resolve national problems. It's an advantage to have and reference. It's also an open-ended business, which the majority think its all secrets.

With almost 200 years of history, when the Supreme Court speaks, people obey. "Unspoken contract is one of the hidden keys to our freedom," said the narrator.

"If the Court ever stopped defending the Constitution or the people ever stopped listening, then one of the treasures that keep this the freest nation in the world ceases to exist." The Supreme Court is the most powerful judicial body not only in the government but in America.

Stirring the pot at U of M

(Pictured to the left is University of Michigan student Dylan Gilbert)

There have been lots of drama spreading across the University of Michigan's campus.

Last year, "University of Michigan student, Sydney Whack, remembers the frustration she and other African-American students felt a year ago when the name tag outside the dorm room of one of her friends was vandalized with the N-word," according to Detroit News.

UM's policy does not allow student housing staff to remove anything from a student's door. UM students are allowed to say what they want on their doors, living space, and inside their dorm buildings. University of Michigan officials are taking a closer look at this policy due to being under investigation after getting involved in a lawsuit challenging how they should handle language that may be offensive.

Sydney Whack believes hate speech should not be tolerated. "Freedom of speech does not include hate speech of any type," said Whack. She states that it is illogical and unfair to say you can be disrespectful and say hurtful things to others because you have freedom of speech.

Dylan Gilbert, another UM student, agrees. "There is a line between freedom of speech and hate speech," said Gilbert.

This is where the drama begins- Amir Baghdadchi, a UM spokesman for University housing, has officially stirred the pot. He defends UM's policy by saying, "There is no way to define 'hate speech.'"

"Eliminating such speech does nothing to change the culture in which offensive language occurs," said Baghdadchi. He mentions that the best way to go about this is to respond to that 'hate speech,' since we can't control what people say.

UM is the first university that's been sued by Speech First. Speech First's lawsuit challenged UM's policies, including prohibitions on harassment and bullying.

Someone is always watching...

Watch out...

Ever since social media became a big deal, privacy became an even bigger issue. In today's world, anything you post or say on the internet is NOT private, regardless if your account is set to private or public.

Last year, Mark Zuckerberg got himself into a huge uproar when people began to find out that Facebook can track your online activity even when you're not logged in. This can be very spooky for some! Even though Facebook can't listen in on your daily conversations and sells your data to advertisers, they can track your location, your every move on the Web, and what you buy when you're offline.

Facebook's ad business depends on what you like and dislike regarding the advertisements that pop up when your scrolling through your feed on Facebook or shopping online at Target. A feature called Facebook Pixel can snoop on your Web browsing activity even when you are not on Facebook, and it uses the data it gathers to paint a picture of who you are and what you like or dislike.

Facebook can also help advertisers track your "offline conversions," which is an in-store purchase. Although it's not as easy to track these kinds of purchases than those from a Web browser, nonetheless it still helps advertisers see whether or not they are targeting the right audience.

This being said, the internet is a great resource, but it has gotten lots of backlash over the years as a couple of websites have been caught for stalking what you do and say on the Internet. Moreover, it is very important that you are careful about what you post and say on social media or the internet because once you post it, its out there for everyone to see. The last thing you want to happen is Facebook analyzing your data and sending it out because of something you have liked or disliked on your feed.