Contemplating Media & the First Amendment
Two weeks ago I sent in my absentee ballot for the state of New Hampshire. While this hasn’t been the first election I have voted in, it feels like the most important. Why I mention this is because this week's reading topic involved privacy, and the people we vote into office decide and aid into... Continue Reading →
It is now the day after the long anticipated Election Day in America. The supposed Blue Wave that was supposed to permeate the polls did not exactly happen the way Democrats expected it to happen. There were some disappointments in high-stakes race. Stacey Abrams may not win the gubernatorial race in Georgia. Andrew Gillum lost... Continue Reading →
The debate on where to draw the line between the separation of church and state has been at a near constant since the very words were written. Though the majority of the Founders and everyday Americans today agree that the United States should not establish a national religion, other areas where the church and the... Continue Reading →
The first amendment which is freedom of the press, freedom of speech, free to assemble, freedom of religion has afforded us a liberty without government control. Throughout history opinions have changed towards the constitution depending who is on the bench. After listening to the interview between Neal Katyal, former Acting Solicitor and the Aspen Institute;... Continue Reading →
The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects people, specifically their bodies, property, papers, and effects, from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. It essentially outlines the notion of our right to privacy. The primary concerns of those who wrote and ratified the Amendment revolved around “general warrants,” or warrants that authorize a search or... Continue Reading →
To some, the term whistleblower is synonymous with leaker. The word leaker has a negative connotation is attached to it. However, a whistleblower should not have this undertone associated with it. It is not the take-out box from dinner that drips curry sauce, the unnecessary nuisance. A whistleblower is the rubber band wrapped around a... Continue Reading →
I want to start this out by saying that Pittsburgh is my second home. My grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins all live ten to fifteen minutes away from Pittsburgh. I’ve visited three times a year every year for over two decades and have for some summers lived in Pittsburgh. It is my favorite city... Continue Reading →
In most landmark decisions, the opinion of the Court is written by the Chief Justice or most senior justice joining in the opinion. Because they are the cases that will studied for many years to come, justices want be the ones to pen the opinion and determine its language. It is through their written opinions... Continue Reading →
On Saturday, eleven people were murdered and four were injured in a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. The shooter, Robert Bowers, was a frequent poster on the social media platform Gab, where he wrote virulent anti-semitic remarks and threatened to carry out acts of violence against Jewish people. This weekend’s mass shooting adds to the... Continue Reading →
"That people find free speech offensive is not a sufficient reason for suppressing it. If Indeed it is the speaker’s opinion that gives offense that consequence is a reason for according it constitutional protection": By Chief Justice William Rehnquist FCC v Pacifica Foundation Chief Justice William Rehnquist delivered the above statement for the case Hustler Magazine v Falwell... Continue Reading →
Free Press Free Speech 