Freedom of Speech is something that is more important now than ever but also can be our biggest enemy at the same time. I say this because we live in a world that has become so politically divided, we no longer have a middle ground in our society. We hear the extremes broadcast over the media and have somehow forgotten about the good in the world. To an extent, Freedom of Speech and expression is what landed us in this situation. We can never demolish Freedom of Speech because this would go against the ideals our nation was founded on but we as people can no longer use Freedom of Speech to tear others down and further create division. Words are one of the most powerful things each human obtains and we have to keep that in mind, we’ve gotten to a place in our culture where people say what they want and do not think about others and then use the Freedom of Speech to validate their words.
There are 8 Values of Free Expression these values consist of
This is the idea that the truth will always prevail in any situation. In addition, when people debate between truth and false and the truth does come out, the debate makes the truth even stronger.
- Participation in Self-Government
This is the idea that the First Amendment works to inform the people via debate to ensure that voters are making informed choices about self-government.
This is the idea that Freedom of speech allows for people to freely speak about dislikes which in return helps limit violence and allows the government to monitor groups and people that could potentially become violent based on their words.
- Individual Self-Fulfillment
This is the idea that Freedom of speech allows for every person to build their identity through their words, this then becomes an aspect of human dignity, agency, and autonomy.
This is the idea that the media helps to inform the public about situations which then helps people take further action at the ballot box if felt necessary. This is viewed as another form of check and balances which is in the people's hands.
This is the idea that although there will be opposing views among people there is a positive outcome from that which is people will become more tolerant to all aspects of life.
This is the idea that people that live with Freedom of speech often strive for creativity and innovation, they participate in these activities for self-enjoyment.
After reflecting on the 8 Values of Free Expression I feel as if multiple of these ideas resonate with me. Marketplace of Ideas and Individual Self-Fulfillment are the two that I can connect most to. I feel as if the idea of individual self-fulfillment it is very important because that’s what makes each and every person unique. By having the freedom to all think really helps allow for different viewpoints on every situation. When everyone has different ideas it allows for us to live in a society That is made up of a melting pot of people, it also allows for each and every person I have further to learn from those around them. The idea of Marketplace of Ideas is also very important. I say this because each and every person is always seeking out the truth in life. We all strive to be aware of what’s going on the world without false information being provided. I also believe that the truth always comes out in every situation.
I believe that the idea of promoting Tolerance is currently working for us and against us within our society. I say this because we currently see a wide variety of political opinions which are all honored but not necessarily respected in this sense this is a way in which this idea is working but it’s also not. Everyone is still entitled to their freedom of speech and their opinions but on the other side of things it’s created such a politically divided environment that to an extent it’s not truly creating tolerance.
The 8 Values of Free Expression are easily something we use everyday whether we realize it or not. These ideas have been something that have been slowly engrained in our society. These ideas help protect our Freedom of Speech and also give us a better understanding of how Freedom of Speech impacts us.
Comments
Post a Comment