Final Post

The "Talking About Freedom" class conversations offered another powerful layer of personal and intellectual growth. The students were able to discuss and argue about the meaning of freedom in various levels politically, cultural and personal. Such talks promoted integrity and sympathy, making all people value diverse opinions. The class contributed to the dissolution of the goal of liberty and responsibility by considering historical examples and practical situations. It is these free-form but respectful sessions that were most remarkable in that the students had no problem thinking and voicing their opinion, challenging, and learning through disagreement. It focused on the notion that education is not only about facts and definitions but about being in the world by actively engaging in discussions among the most intricate ideas of the world critically and with a mutual understanding.

The most relevant experience I have had during this semester was the mock trials. These trials were demanding in terms of preparations that took a lot of research, critical thinking and teamwork. The students were assigned certain roles, i.e. lawyers, witnesses, and even judges, which imitated the tension in the real courtroom. This is where role-playing aspect allowed the scholastic theories to become alive and the theory became practical. The art of legal arguments required not only knowledge of the facts but also the counterarguments and making convincing arguments. The mock trials also led to a high level of teamwork in addition to enhancing people speaking and analytical skills. Any argument was successful and relied on the communication and trust in the group which provided some excellent lessons concerning cooperation and solving problems as a group which have lasted long beyond the school.

The use of AI videos in the coursework has brought a contemporary, innovative aspect of learning. Combining technology and storytelling and research, students were taught to use AI technologies to create educational or illustrative content. Production of the videos required proper planning in terms of writing triggers, organizing visuals, and leveraging on the technology in a meaningful manner. The display of the final videos to the class did not only demonstrate the level of creativity of each of them, but also showed that AI can be used to improve communication and presentation skills. The experience of seeing each group in its specific approach proved that these tools are potent in case of their reasonable use. More to the point, it made one wonder about what the future of learning and communication would be in the age where the concept of AI keeps influencing the ways we share information and communicate our ideas.

EOTO Reaction

EOTO Reaction

The mid-20 th Century Civil Rights Movement was a historic period in the American history that was characterized by historic pieces of legislation, bold activism, and social change. The efforts to eliminate systemic racism were influenced by several events and organizations that played an important part in eradicating inequality in the USA.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

Such a law was an epic win because it not only made it illegal to segregate people in any social venue, but it also prohibited any type of discrimination in employment just because of race, color, religion, sex or anything related to national origin. It gave the federal government the power to implement desegregation which marked a drastic turning point toward legal equality.

NAACP LOGO

The NAACP

The National Association of Advancing Colored People was established in 1909, and it was very instrumental in combating racial inequality using the law. The NAACP headed such cases as Brown v. Organized bottom-up campaigns, and demonstrating that systemic change meant both courtroom courts and community organization.

Lunch Counter Sit-Ins

Sit-ins started off Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960 and became an effective way of nonviolent protest. The blacks took up the whites-only lunch counters, demanded to be served and refused to vacate. These activities made the futility of segregation the forefront, and the rest of the country started to follow suit, with no emphasis placed on violent demonstrations.

Freedom Rides

In 1961, racially mixed people rode the buses to the racist South in order to put into uncooperative efforts of disobeying the Supreme Court decision regarding interstate travel in a desegregated manner. Cyclists were brutally beaten but their fearlessness brought national publicity and compelled the federal government to implement integration laws.

March on Washington

In 1963, the March on Washington to Jobs and Freedom led to more than 250,000 individuals gathering in the capital of the country and demanding civil and economic rights. Here is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic speech on the reasons he had a dream as he inspired people in support of the civil rights legislation.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The boycott, which was more than a year long, was triggered by the arrest of Rosa parks in 1955 and it brought the transit system of the city to a standstill. It challenged the strength of the group movement and the emergence of King as a national leader as it was led by Dr. King. The boycott finally included the Supreme Court decision that it was unconstitutional to segregate public buses.

Conclusion

The happenings and groups described in this article demonstrate how multi-layered the Civil Rights Movement was; legal action, activism on the grassroots, and an appeal to moral sentiment all combined forces to confront inappropriateness. Their combination redefined the American society and showed that long-lasting, efficient action could destroy even those forms of inequality which seems to be the most established.

AI disclosure: After taking notes on the mock trial my peers did. I used Claude AI to smooth the text and format it in a readable way. I then added photos, links, and captions

Brown v Board

 The landmark case of Brown v. The case of Board of Education questions an old doctrine of separate but equal which was set in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. Though the advocates of desegregation justify their desegregation claim by using the violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14 th Amendment, it is quite convincing why states should be given the mandate to have separate schools to cater the needs of each race which is black and white students.

Tradition and stability should be taken into consideration first of all. The justice system has supported segregation in almost 60 years, and the tradition has given communities permission to establish their own educational institutions in line with their needs. This system would take too quick to destroy, and destroy the entire country. Most parents are of the view that segregation ensures that their children are safe in school and this gives them languages familiar with them and the students can learn without the tension that would have come with integration. These issues capture serious members of the community values, which should be honored and given attention.

Economic consequences of desegregation can not be avoided. Affluent families have cited that they would take their children out of the public schools in case they are forcibly assimilated which would destroy the state education system. Moreover, the shift would lead to the loss of many jobs especially among the black workers that are working in the segregated schools who may be rendered jobless in a new integrated system. Black families already earn much less than white families and forcing them to integrate is likely to make the gap between them even greater.

Further, some suggest that the cause of separation is upheld by spiritual doctrines. The Biblical interpretations have been referred in justification of natural order of segregated communities and have claimed that various communities can live together harmoniously yet have different institutions. This is an honest view of the opinion that needs not be overlooked merely because it no longer augurs well with the present sensibilities.

The suggestion that segregation would negatively affect the mental well being of children or impede with the idea of cooperation is illogical. Students can be taught a lot on how to work as a team within their respective communities prior to being exposed to the dynamics of an integrated society. It cannot truly be argued that black students will get their schooling in broken windows and that white students get theirs in spaces that are better than the first one simply indicates that the case of the separate and equal is not being met as mandated under the Constitution.

The notion that all men are created equal does not require that similar treatment always be administered. Equality may be realized in forms of separate institutions that will not violate the preferences and comfort of various communities. The 14 th Amendment safeguards equal rights, which however, is not a requirement of social integration. States must be left to make decisions as to what educational arrangements serve their people best.

As opposed to the criticism that segregation divides the nation, forced integration will lead to the introduction of even greater divisions because they force communities that are working well to adopt changes that are unwanted. The Constitution safeguards the rights of states to manage their matters and education has always been a state issue.

To conclude, the preservation of the segregated schools maintains traditions, economic stability, parental interests, and states rights with a still possibility of receiving equal treatment under the law with actual separate facilities.

AI disclosure: Having made notes on the mock trial conducted by my peers. I benefited from Claude AI to edit the text and put it in an understandable form. At this point, I included captions, links, and photos.

Plessy v Ferg Trial

 Plessy v, 1896 Supreme Court ruling. The Ferguson case is one of the most disagreeable cases in American law. The decision by the Court to support Louisiana Separate Car Act and the doctrine of separate yet equal essentially allowed legal segregation in the entire South. The frustrating thing about this decision is even stronger since it ignored solid religious objections to segregation which was informed by basic biblical values. The realization of how religion was resistance to segregation in these times indicates the colossal misalignment between the so-called Christian ideals in America and the legal system in real practice.

The central theme of Christian theology is that all men are created in the image of God which is called imago Dei. This is based on the idea of Genesis which states that God fashioned man in his own likeness. 

It was not a trivial fact, but an underlying doctrine that provided each and every individual with natural dignity and value, regardless of his or her appearance or origin. The segregation laws were in direct conflict with this because they considered the Black citizens to be fundamentally different and inferior to the white citizens. With everyone bearing the image of God in the same manner, then there is no theological reason to put people into different races and make them to be treated differently in the eyes of the law.

The New Testament gave even more arguments against racial divide. In Galatians, the Apostle Paul stated that there was no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female and that they were all one in Christ Jesus. This was a radical utterance of the day, and in essence, implied that all the social classifications and levels that humans establish are inconsequential to the eyes of God. 

Even Jesus did not stop at breaking social rules communicating with Samaritans, tax collectors and other people who are treated as outcasts. His whole ministry consisted in breaking down rather than erecting fences among people. When you consider it, therefore, segregation was the very antithesis of what Jesus taught and showed in his acts.

Another religious principle, which renders segregation unacceptable to justify, is the Golden Rule. Do unto other people as you wish they should do unto you demands that people must be truthful with themselves and think of how they would feel when they are in the position of the other person. Would the white Americans have been satisfied to be compelled to separate and inferior facilities? Could they subject their children to inferior treatment? Obviously not. This is a basic ethical exam that reveals the extent of iniquity that existed as a result of segregation.

It is also important to mention that the racial injustice was being combated by religious communities decades before. Quakers played a significant role in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad since their religious inclination on equality among humans made them view slavery and discrimination as evil. They risked their lives as they felt that the law of God was of a higher priority than unjust laws of human beings.

 This religious activism on racism was not dead during the Plessy era in spite of its disregard by the Supreme Court.

The Plessy v. The Ferguson decision demonstrated to what extent America had lost its proclaimed religious values. In a country that prided itself as a Christian country, the supreme court of the land supported the system that went against fundamental bible teachings on human equality, unity and love. This inconsistency between religious principles and the law would ultimately assist in the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement and help to demonstrate that these religious justifications against segregation possessed actual strength and permanency.

AI disclosure: I created the essay about the Plessy v. case with Claude AI. In his argument, Ferguson contended that Plessy relied on religion to take on segregation.  I then attached photos, links and captions.

"In The Heat of the Night"

 In the Heat of the Night: A Reflection on Race, Justice, and Change

In the Heat of the Night is a strong movie based in the Jim Crow South around which a murder in a small town in Mississippi was carried out on a rich man. The suspects then turn out to be one of the police officers as well and this makes the investigation even more complicated. The novel centers around the life of Virgil Tibbs, an African American detective named Sidney Poitier, who is not only in the wrong place regarding the case as he is wrongly suspected of having committed the crime. Tibbs unwillingly gets teamed with the white local police chief, Bill Gillespie, a man who is initially angry that Tibbs is around and commanding. The movie explores the conflict between the two men, revealing the opposite view on race, power, and justice as the investigation unfolds. As the time passes, the character of both characters grow and develop in a meaningful way coming to receive an awkward yet heartfelt mutual respect.

The brutal life experience under the Jim crows laws in the American South during the 1960s is also one of the strongest features of the film. Released in the thick of the Civil Rights Movement, the film challenges the overt biases that dominated at that point in the history of the country. In the experience that is shared by Tibbs with the white people in Sparta, the story brings into light the way racism was defining all areas of social and professional relations. The first suspicion of Gillespie toward Tibbs is based on racial prejudice as well as in his personal pride, however, as soon as Tibbs proves that he is a smart person and can solve cases, the attitude in Gillespie changes. Their changing relationship highlights a greater meaning of the movie that there can be a possibility of understanding and respect even in the systems constructed on inequality.

This acting of Virgil Tibbs by Sidney Poitier is one of the most definite roles that he ever plays. It is his serene power, intellectual assurance and upright character which render Tibbs an engaging character and make him unwilling to be undermined by the bigotry which surrounds him. Even the silent strength of dignity before injustice is a wonderful depiction by Poitier who achieved in his role a hero of struggle, a hero of the truth.

The bottom line is that In the Heat of the Night does not rely on the plot of mystery to provide a scathing critique of race, power and the human condition. Through the analysis of racism in the law enforcement and the society as a whole, it brings perennial questions about justice and equality. The sincerity and bravery of the film in treating these issues have made it not only a masterpiece in cinema but also a permanent reminder as to the need to be empathetic, progressive and collaborative in fighting the evil of prejudice.

Recon Vid

 The Unfinished Promise of Reconstruction

In 2015, a historic Black church became the scene of a devastating tragedy when a gunman opened fire after joining a Bible study group in prayer for nearly an hour. Motivated by deep-seated racism, he later claimed his actions were driven by hatred toward Black people. This horrific event compels us to ask a difficult question: how did our nation reach such a point of violence and intolerance?

      

A historical Photo Regarding the Civil War (1860)

A historical Photo Regarding the Civil War (1860)

To understand the challenges of our present, we must look back to the Reconstruction era that followed the Civil War in 1866. It was a time filled with hope and ambition, as newly freed people sought opportunity and the true meaning of freedom after centuries of enslavement. Yet in hindsight, many African Americans could not have foreseen the obstacles ahead. The Charleston Massacre and the harsh Jim Crow laws that followed stand as enduring reminders of the deep-rooted prejudice and violence that emerged during this turbulent chapter in American history.  

Even today, our nation remains haunted by the unfinished work of Reconstruction. Although Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery, the struggle to build a genuinely equal society had only just begun. While some freedmen were grateful simply for their liberty, others recognized that freedom without equality was incomplete. In the summer of 1862, countless enslaved people sought refuge behind Union lines, and when the Union finally called for Black soldiers to serve, nearly 180,000 answered with courage and conviction.  

Reconstruction was intended to reunite the North and the South, yet both regions viewed its purpose through vastly different lenses. The end of the Civil War raised more questions than answers about what freedom truly meant and how it should be realized. Even after the ratification of the 13th Amendment, the meaning of liberty remained uncertain—its promise unfulfilled and its practice deeply contested across a divided nation.

Disclaimer: I used Ai to structure my notes into paragraph form and thebn i edited the paragraphs to my own liking.

What I learned

Today in class, my classmates shared powerful presentations about the Reconstruction Era and the fight for African American rights. Here's what stood out to me.

The foundation of this era was built on the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, which abolished slavery, guaranteed citizenship and equal protection, and secured voting rights. But amendments alone weren't enough—people needed real support to build new lives.

Freedman's Bureau School

The Freedmen's Bureau operated for seven years and helped over 4 million people transition from slavery to freedom. This proved that the federal government could take an active role in protecting rights and representing all Americans. The Bureau established 4,000 schools, founded HBCUs, and by 1870, educated 250,000 students. They also helped families reunite and legally marry after years of forced separation.

One of the most memorable stories was "40 acres and a mule." In January 1865, General Sherman set aside 400,000 acres of coastal land for freed Black families. By June 1865, 40,000 people had settled this land, building thriving communities with schools, churches, and functioning farms. Though the promise was ultimately broken, the vision remains beautiful—a bold step toward true freedom and self-determination.

Tuskegee Institute, founded in 1881 under principal Booker T. Washington, showed what determination could build. Students literally constructed the school themselves. When George Washington Carver joined in 1896, he revolutionized agriculture by introducing crop rotation. Later, the legendary Tuskegee Airmen would train here, becoming WWII heroes who broke barriers in the sky.

Hiram Rhodes Revels Portrait

 Finally, we learned about Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African  American U.S. Senator. Born free in North Carolina— rare for that time—he served as a minister and educator at Shaw University before making history in politics.

These stories remind us that progress requires both legal protections and practical support, vision and action.

Disclaimer: I took what I learned and used ai to compose a blog post.

Class Artificial Intelligence Videos

Voting during the Reconstruction Era

The Arc of Reconstruction (1865-1877)

Lincoln's assassination in 1865 was a turning point. His death meant the loss of a leader who might have pursued a more moderate approach to rebuilding the South. Instead, Andrew Johnson took over with a much more lenient stance toward former Confederates, creating immediate tension with Congress.

The 14th Amendment (1868) granted citizenship and equal protection, while the 15th Amendment (1870) prohibited denying voting rights based on race. These were revolutionary changes. Combined with federal troops enforcing these rights, you saw that explosion of black political participation in 1868 - African Americans voting, holding office, and participating in democracy for the first time.

But when Reconstruction ended in 1877 (as part of a political compromise), federal troops withdrew. Without that protection, Southern states systematically dismantled black voting rights through poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence. That's why by 1900, black political participation had plummeted.

Booker T. Washington's Role

Washington emerged as a major leader during this difficult post-Reconstruction period. He advocated for economic self-reliance and vocational education rather than direct political confrontation - a controversial stance, but one he felt was practical given the dangerous climate.

The Great Migration

Movement during the Great Migration

Your note about 90% of black Americans living in the South in 1900, mostly trapped in sharecropping (basically a system of debt peonage), sets up why the Great Migration happened - people fled North seeking better opportunities and escape from Jim Crow oppression.

Disclaimer: This blog post was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence based on class notes from educational videos about the Reconstruction Era. 

Gone WIth The Wind

GWTW MOVIE COVER

My first initial time watching Gone With the Wind was an experience to be felt. As an eternal fan of period movies, I thought I would be interested in the artistry and historical context of the movie but I never expected to get so engaged in it. The epic plot, the characters that were developed properly and the way the Civil War background was graphically depicted all made the story grand and heartfelt simultaneously. The emotions of love, loss and survival under the circumstances of the mess that is described in the film were so poignant and thought leaving that they proved not only heart touching but incredibly deep. It reflects the strength and the determination of a human soul that has to confront the non-possibility of the changes and the misery.

Scarlett O'Hara, the protagonist, is brilliantly portrayed by Vivien Leigh who experiences incredible change during the story. Initially, she is a charming, money-crazed Southern belle infatuated with money, looks and positioning. Scarlett is concentrated on looks and comfort, however, as Civil War turns everything she is familiar with, she has to adjust to a new and rough reality. Her experience of privilege to survival demonstrates a strong internal force and the will to survive. Scarlett turns into a representation of strength, as she is ready to give almost everything to survive. However, her power is rather expensive she loses a lot of her innocence and compassion on her way. The fact that she became a hardened survivor out of naive young woman was one of the most interesting and emotional parts of the film.

The role of Mammy by Hattie McDaniel has become one of the strongest performances of the movie as well. Mammy is a slave in the OHara family where she is a strong, wise and an upright woman. The most memorable remark she makes to Scarlett is this-- What gentlemen says and what they thinks is two different things-- and I have not heard Mr. Ashley request to marry you!-- and in this remark her wit and her honesty, without timidity, are seen to shine through. Regardless of all the racial hierarchy of the Old South, Mammy is authoritative and brave at the moral level. Her association with Scarlett is both supportive and strict, she directs, questions and brings them down at times of pride and stupidity. The subtlety of the role played by McDaniel made Mammy human and dimensional, and this earned her the award of being the first African American to win an Academy Award.

Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable together

Another memorable character is Rhett Butler, who is performed by Clark Gable. Rhett is a painfully sincere charismatic and cynical man, which is why he is so refreshingly real. He has a way of surviving in the confusion of war and he does not hide his selfishness but in reality he is a vulnerable man, full of love. Scarlett, his relationship with her, a mixture of passion, rivalry and heartbreak, is a source of much of the emotional force and tragic power of the film.

The Gone With the Wind was, overall, far more than I expected. No, it is not only a historic romance, but it is a typical survival story, pride and transformation in the world which is falling under the stress of change. This is why the film remains a heart-rending survival, a manpower, and a will to fight film with its intrinsically unforgettable characters and emotionally insightful depth.

Video Reax

A Portrait of A Sharecropper’s Family

I just finished watching a bunch of videos on African American history for my class and honestly some of this stuff really shocked me. I knew slavery ended after the Civil War but I didn't realize how the system basically continued under a different name.

The whole sharecropping thing was basically a trap. After 1865, freed Black Americans and poor whites would farm plots of land owned by someone else. The landowner provided everything like seeds and tools, and the farmer did all the work. At harvest time, the landowner took 50% or more of the crops. But here's the really messed up part: sharecroppers had to buy supplies on credit with interest rates going up to 70%. They literally could never make enough money to break even, so families stayed trapped in debt for generations. The videos called it "slavery by another name" and I totally see why now.

There was this brief period called Reconstruction from 1865 to 1877 where things looked promising. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were passed, and over 2,000 Black officials got elected to government positions. But after 1877 everything fell apart with Jim Crow laws, poll taxes, and violence that basically eliminated Black voting in the South by 1900.

Great Migration Chicago 1920s

This led to the Great Migration where 6 million African Americans moved north and west between 1916 and 1970. They were escaping sharecropping poverty and racial violence, looking for factory jobs that opened up during WWI and WWII. Cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New York saw huge population increases. This migration created amazing cultural movements like the Harlem Renaissance and gave African Americans more political power, even though they still faced housing descrimination and race riots.

Learning about leaders like Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois was interesting too because they had completely different approaches to advancement.

Disclaimer: I used ai to summarize my notes and help me create a blog post. 

Benjamin Wade: "The Man Who Almost Changed History"

Portrait of Benjamin Wade

 

Benjamin Wade: The Abolitionist Who Fought Slavery at Every Turn

Benjamin Franklin Wade didn't just oppose slavery—he made it his life's mission to destroy it. From his earliest days in politics through the Civil War and Reconstruction, Wade never wavered in his conviction that slavery was a moral evil that had to be eliminated completely.

                                                                                             

Early Anti-Slavery Advocacy

Photo of Library of Congress

Wade's partnership with Joshua Giddings, a prominent anti-slavery advocate, shaped his political identity from the start. In 1831, the two lawyers joined forces in Jefferson, Ohio, and Wade absorbed Giddings' fierce abolitionist principles. When Wade entered the Ohio State Senate in 1837, he immediately went to work trying to repeal the Black Codes that restricted African American rights. His determined anti-slavery stand cost him reelection in 1839, but he won another term in 1841.

                                                                             

                                                                  

Fighting Slavery in Washington

Wade arrived in the U.S. Senate in 1851 as an uncompromising foe of slavery expansion. He vehemently opposed the Fugitive Slave Act, which forced Northern states to return escaped slaves to their owners. When the Kansas-Nebraska Act passed in 1854, opening western territories to slavery, Wade was so incensed that he left the Whig Party and helped organize the Republican Party in Ohio.

Wade's opposition to slavery wasn't just rhetorical—he was willing to fight physically if necessary. After a Southern senator witnessed and approved an assault on abolitionist Charles Sumner, Wade challenged Southern senators to personal combat. He, Zachariah Chandler, and Simon Cameron made a pact to respond to any insult from a Southerner with a duel challenge.

Wartime Action Against Slavery

When the Civil War began, Wade used his position as chairman of the Committee on Territories to abolish slavery in all federal territories in 1862. This was a critical step toward total emancipation. He also helped pass the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided land to settlers and undermined the plantation system.

Wade was furious with Lincoln's cautious approach to slavery. In September 1861, he privately wrote that Lincoln's views on slavery "could only come of one born of poor white trash and educated in a slave State." He was especially angry when Lincoln delayed recruiting Black soldiers into the Union Army. Wade advocated for the immediate emancipation and arming of enslaved people, as well as the execution of Confederate leaders and confiscation of their property.

The Wade-Davis Bill

Wade's most significant legislative effort to reshape the post-slavery South was the Wade-Davis Bill of 1864. Co-authored with Representative Henry Winter Davis, the bill demanded complete abolition of slavery and required Confederate states to give Black men the right to vote before being readmitted to the Union. The legislation called for far stricter conditions than Lincoln's lenient "Ten Percent Plan." While the bill passed both houses of Congress, Lincoln pocket-vetoed it, preferring his more moderate approach.

Fighting for Freedmen's Rights

Wade didn't stop fighting after slavery ended. He supported the Freedmen's Bureau and Civil Rights Bills, successfully extending civil rights protections to the District of Columbia. He was a strong advocate for the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship and equal protection to formerly enslaved people. Wade also pushed for Nebraska and Kansas statehood, strengthening the Republican majority in Congress.

When Andrew Johnson became president and pursued lenient reconstruction policies, Wade became his harshest critic. He argued that Johnson represented "the tyrannical slave power" and accused him of being "the lineal successor of John C. Calhoun and Jefferson Davis." Wade's vision for reconstruction included both economic and social transformation of the South through free labor, where Black and white Americans would "finally occupy a platform according to their merits."

A Lasting Legacy

Wade remained bitter about the betrayal of Reconstruction principles until his death. When President Hayes withdrew federal troops from the South in 1877, Wade wrote that he felt "indignation and a bitterness of soul that I never felt before." He declared that "to have emancipated these people and then to leave them unprotected would be a crime as infamous as to have reduced them to slavery once they are free."

Benjamin Wade died on March 2, 1878, having devoted his entire political career to abolishing slavery and securing rights for African Americans. His uncompromising stance cost him politically, but placed him on the right side of history.

Disclaimer: I used Claude AI for my information and research and added pictures.

Marketplace of Ideas: Check on Government Ideas

     In an ideal democracy, the press is more than a guarantee of freedom of press as it is a formidable tool that checks government power. The Checking Function of the First Amendment by Vincent Blasi is an influential work that makes us remember that this is an important role. The press, which is accompanied by a well-informed citizen, is a watchdog, be it that the press is known to be vigilant in uncovering any abuse of power and corruption that would otherwise not be known. History has given us millions of cases: Watergate, Irangate, Clintongate, and others, where investigative journalism uncovered the ills of the government. These exposures did not merely hit the headlines, but it caused widespread anger, legislative inquiries and subsequently political repercussions. This information has allowed citizens to exercise their right to vote out leaders at the ballot box in their exercise of democracy.

Symbolic spotlight shining on government buildings represents transparency and scrutiny.

    Watchdog role of the press is necessary since the power without checks can easily be abused. Government officers, be it executive, legislative, or judicial are human and they can be prone to the temptations of corruption or excess. Injustice can originate in the dark without the light of the press to highlight the abuses.In addition, this check and balance system is not confined to the press only. It also relies on citizens who do not blindly follow the news, but question the information presented in the news and those who take part in democracy. It is mutual freedom of the press and an active people that makes a vibrant defense against tyranny.

    In the current times and times when misinformation and political polarization may pose as a threat to the discourse of the people, the watchdog association of journalism is more valuable than ever. It helps us remember the reason why the right to freedom of the press is not only about the rights of the media, but it also involves the guarantee of the freedom of democracy. The next time you pick up a newspaper and read a headline concerning a political scandal or government malfeasance, do keep in mind: this is democracy at work. The media is performing its role and you, as an educated citizen, have the authority to seek responsibility.