EIGHT VALUES OF FREE EXPRESSION

FREE EXPRESSION

Participation in Self Government

It has been said that if there is no freedom of speech, then we have no democracy. This is mainly true because democracy is defined by government that is run by people voting for or against decisions, policies, and/or laws. Politicians need the ability to freely promote themselves in order to get their policies and plans across. How are we, as Americans, supposed to make an educated decision without hearing what the politician has to say? This is why freedom of speech is so essential, especially around big elections. 

Marketplace of Ideas

An individual with a fully educated and non-biased perspective is willing to listen to any and all ideas. John Milton suggested that "truth will win out." Some will neglect an opposing opinion because they are so passionate about their beliefs or simply because they refuse for it to be true. 

A prime example may be this upcoming election, there have been some pretty aggressive opinions or statements being thrown around on platforms such as X or TikTok. The politicians, news platforms, or citizens, have the right to put any information out there... but it may cause for some arguments or disagreements. This opens the floor up for conversation and ultimately, like Milton said, discovering the truth with facts. It is our responsibilities as citizens of America to debate or create discussion so that we can decide what is good and bad.

Stable Chance

Passion fuels emotions, and some people can be pretty passionate about their opinions or beliefs. To continue with the same hot topic, the upcoming election, there are major topics that will determine an individual to sway one way or the other. These topics could include abortion, the border crisis, and the cost of living. The addition of free speech allows citizens or politicians to speak on these issues. As mentioned earlier, allowing for any and all ideas is beneficial. However some people are extremely upset by the opposing view. Take abortion for example, allowing for peaceful protests or these online "rants" may prevent violent and aggressive acts. If we try to silence someone, they are more likely to get more angry and it will ultimately just fuel their fire. 

I think this is something that we see quite often. A couple of weeks ago, a story was released regarding the Supreme Court's possible consideration of including "bubble zones" to abortion clinics, moving the protests further away from the buildings. The argument here is that there is still a violation of the first amendment because they're taking away the ability to fully convey their message. This has just made these activists groups even more angry because they feel the support of this law would just be supporting viewpoint discrimination. There are many other stories just like this one, but it is important to note that allowing for peaceful ranting is beneficial for everyone involved. 

Individual Self-Fulfillment

Good ol' fashion autonomy is something that allows us to feel, think, and believe what we want. This value of expression often deals with creative speech, or wanting to send a message. It is important because it allows people to feel competent in having their own opinions, or creating their own identity. 

I believe this could especially be essential for young adults in their 20s because they are finally able to break free from the opinions/values that were instilled in them when they were younger. 

Check on Government Power

It is important to hold the government accountable. This value of free expression is something that I think gets mistaken a lot in the modern world. I think a lot of people believe they are criticizing when in reality they are slandering. Criticism involves the sharing of educated and valued opinions, usually driven by facts. On the other hand, slandering involves false statements that can damage one's reputation. 

Since there is such a heavy media presence, false information spreads like wildfire. This is how the shift from criticism turns to slander. I believe nowadays on social media it is more common to see the attacking of individuals or policies versus the criticism of them. While it is beneficial we are able to speak freely about our opinions, it is important we are doing that in the right way. 

Promote Tolerance

As mentioned earlier, allowing for all ideas to be surfaced, is a good thing. While this is true, all speech may not necessarily mean good speech. Freedom of speech allows for anything that can extend all the way to hate speech. Hate speech is defined as speech that attacks an individual or group based on characteristics such as race or disability. The promotion of tolerance is all about allowing hate speech to lead to a more tolerant society. It is said that the value we get from hate speech is that we as a society can learn from it. This is how acceptable behavioral norms are formed. 

Promote Innovation

If you haven't guessed by now, we as a society can benefit greatly from allowing any ideas to be freely shared. Without the ability to share freely, we may not be able to technologically advance as well as we do in the United States. An individual is more likely to be creative or involved if they feel comfortable doing so. 

I believe this value to be important because I value our Country continuing to be innovative and keep progressing. 

Protect Dissent

The most essential part of protecting dissent is protecting minority views. Minority views include the unpopular views, and those are just as important as the popular ones. Without hearing the minority opinions, we may never see change or innovation. One of the greatest benefits we see from hearing the random "unheard of" opinions, is that it sparks the desire to change.