Post 2: The Voices of Freedom

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    From Watching Supreme Court and reading the article “Supreme Court” by History Channel, I learned that The Supreme Court of the United States is the most powerful judicious court in the world. It is independent of the U.S. government. It serves as a platform where the people of the U.S. can bring societal issues to the table through a certain case and discuss the most desired result for the people themselves. The Supreme Court has the power to choose certain cases that are being brought up, and they can only open an issue with an actual case being presented. 


The key to Supreme Court Justice is its sovereign power of listening to people’s voices and making sure that “government only gets power from the consent of the governed” (Professor Dean Smith, personal communication, Jan 18, 2022). They not only evaluate the constitution during different cases but also have the power to check the executive and legislative powers. In other words, the president and the congress cannot tell the Supreme Court what to do, it is the constitution and people who tell the Court what to do. 


    What fascinates me the most is the process it takes the Supreme Court to open up a case until the case is resolved. 9 judges, bringing their positions to the discussion after hearing the case. It is “not a dialogue between judge and attorney, it is a conversation between courts during & after hearing”, as stressed in the “Supreme Court” video. It is common to see changes as the case goes, and the longer it is, the fewer changes in position and opinions occur. After voting on the decision, the judges go through months of the process of writing, rewriting, and revising the decision. This opinion writing is generally performed by one of the judges on the majority side. In general, the decision should be released by the end of the term. With every second being spent on each case, it is the dedication toward justice and the faith that people’s voices shall be heard. 


    Before watching the video and reading the article, I had always thought that the Supreme Court is just the highest court that deals with cases consisting of extreme circumstances. However, the video and the article changed my ways of thinking. What the Court represents is how the people’s voices get heard, collected, and turn into one powerful voice that makes a difference. From cases arguing whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, to cases that argue for equity and inclusion, there is no big or small. Every voice is equally important for the progression of a nation. The hammer in the hands of the chief judges in history symbolizes the indisputable truth and power bestowed upon the Supreme Court by the people. At the same time, they take people’s rights at the highest state and swear to protect the freedom on the “land of the free and the home of the braves”. 


Sources:

https://www.history.com/topics/us-government/supreme-court-facts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWRoXYRsaeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca8qSuWxcG8


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