Post #2 : The Supreme Court

 I can recall the first time learning about the Supreme Court, when I was taught that there are three branches of government in the United States: legislative, executive, and judicial. Once introduced to the judicial branch, the Supreme Court immediately came to the forefront of my mind. Yet through years of the study of history and endless AP classes, there are still many things to learn about the Supreme Court. First, I am very surprised  I did not know that the Supreme Court has an official abbreviation of SCOTUS. Although this is a very simplistic piece of information, it proves my point that there is still much more for me to learn about the Supreme Court. I was also very fascinated to learn that the Supreme Court actually met first in New York City. Yet, I can say that I am not overly surprised, as most of the significant  happenings at the time did happen in the north. 

I think that one of the biggest take away points about the Supreme Court is that the justices essentially hold more power than the President. If a President were to be impeached, the Chief Justice presides over the trial. One of the most notable Chief Justices was Earl Warren, who ultimately banned segregation within schools, which was established through the case of Brown v. Board of Education. He also established the Miranda Rights. which ultimately is “the right to remain silent” that is stated each time someone is put under arrest. 

I think the most interesting thing I learned from reading the overview of the Supreme Court written by the History Channel was Texas v. Johnson. Until reading this article, I had always believed that flag burning was illegal. Growing up, I was even scared to have the flags my family would place in my yard for holidays later placed improperly in my garage. Yet I have come to find that flag burning is actually protected under the First Amendment since 1989. This is a protected right for those who are protesting the government or other political issues to release their frustration in this manner. 

After reading this article, I have gained much more respect and admiration of the Supreme Court. I am very interested in legal studies and cases, as I plan on attending law school after my undergraduate education. Learning that the Supreme Court began with six justices and contains nine today shows the growth of our judicial system. Reading the article allowed insight into all of the monumental changes within our government today that were a result of the ruling of cases through the Supreme Court. Seeing all the changes, I maintain respect for the judicial system and hope that one day I can be part of more monumental changes.