Eight Values of Free Expression

 

The eight values of free expression are very significant as they honor the First Amendment and help to explain the purposes of it. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, religion, press, among other things; therefore, it’s extremely important. 

The value which resonates most with me is Marketplace of Ideas. This principle vouches that truth will always prevail when in competition with lies. This value promotes intellectual growth and adaptation, and it encourages different perspectives; allowing for dominant narratives to be trumped. I appreciate this value because it promotes fairness and truth in a society where falsities are normalized. 

I believe the value that holds the most importance is Check on Government Power. This is also called the watchdog rule, and it’s vital in combatting abuse of power by the government. This value encourages democracy by empowering the public and press to keep the government in check and challenge their wrongdoings. With scandals being a regular occurrence in politics, the public deserves the right to be enlightened and not shielded from the truth; the Check on Government Power value is vital in making this happen. 

The value which feels most personal to me is Promote Tolerance. I wish this principle was more normalized in society, especially in an age of raging cancel culture. I feel this way because hate speech is protected by the First Amendment; yet, people are still harshly punished for expressing their clashing views. 

Differentiating ideas is what makes this country unique and most importantly, free. If there was no tolerance, diversity could not be highlighted, and people would be living in hermit shells of their own closed-minded beliefs. The idea is that hate speech teaches society; both what they should denounce and what must be acceptable without punishment. As a college student, I have been exposed to various views that are unique to mine and my family’s, which is why understanding this value is powerful, and thankfully present in law and society. 

Staying on the topic of Promoting Tolerance, I believe this value is seen currently. Not only on the college campus where I reside, but also in this country as a whole; especially with the change of power in the United States. I see this value in action quite a lot at school. Different values and viewpoints between students are common and present within class discussions; although disagreements are a given, debates/discussions are encouraged and gone about in a positive way. This is something I was not exposed to in high school. This change is possibly due to our maturation as students, but it could also be due to the tolerance that my age demographic has thankfully gained.  

The values of free expression are complex; however, the ideas behind these values are straightforward. When picking these ideas apart, they actually seem very simple. These principles are vital for the freedom of Americans, and it’s difficult to understand how countries around the world do not allow these expressive rights for citizens. With that being said, we are lucky to be allowed these rights and should use them to their full extent.