Blog Post 3

The Eight Values of Free Expression

    The eight values of expression are the marketplace of ideas, participation in self-government, stable change, individual self-fulfillment, check on governmental power, promotion of tolerance, promotion of innovation, and protection of dissent.  Of those eight values, promotion of innovation is the one that is most interesting to me.  The freedom of speech, which as we know is one of the principles found in the First Amendment, has 8 core values of free expression. The marketplace of ideas is this observation that John Milton had considering if the truth and lies where to be freely grappled (engaged in a close fight), than the truth would always win. This peaks my interest because we know God's principles that can be found in the bible are the truth. Milton is saying that the truth will always defeat the lies that might be formed by the world. 

    The participation in self-government explains how we, the people of the United States, use the opinions of those in influential positions to make informed decisions. Most citizens believe they should be allowed to speak their mind with little to no interference from government.  One of the purposes of the participation in self-government value is the protection of all kinds of speech and opnions to properly inform elections.  In the monumental Bradenburg v Ohio case (1969)  the Supreme Court ruled that a Ku Klux Klansmen's speech was inflammatory and provoking violence.  Having protections like self-government can regulate some of these actions.  Alexander Meiklejohn explained how free speech and its relation to self government is absolutely vital. Stable change is the practice of allowing citizens to speak freely to keep them in a more peaceful state. This allows people to not store things up and out of an impulsive decision, act in a manner of violence. This goes hand in hand with our first amendment right for the people to peaceably assemble. The ability to possess individual self-fulfillment is the action in which we are able to have our own identities where we can live by specific principles that make us who we are. 

    Moving on to the 5th value of free expression, the ability to check on government power. It is not our right, but our duty as U.S. citizens to be a part of the checks-and-balance system to keep the government from becoming too powerful. Along with the press, citizens do not want any form of dictatorship, that is why this is a free country. 

    Promoting tolerance goes hand in hand with how the first amendment now protects hate speech because our nation has the ability to grow through painful situations especially regarding the relationships around us. Promoting tolerance regarding hate speech helps us become more accepting of others regardless of their life choices, which means we are growing as a nation. The 7th value of expression is the promotion of innovation. This value envisions the idea that if we are a nation that practices the freedom of speech, then we will more likely to be free enough to come up with new ideas and receive more energy and self motivation to be innovative. 

    Protect dissent is the last value of expression which explains how we have not the right, but the duty to criticize and disagree with the government. This shows that the government wants all citizens to experience freedom unlike any other nation, and actually encourages us to do quite the opposite of other countries that possess a dictating government. 

    I believe that the 8 values of free expression are very important because they highlight the  meaning of the first amendment. Marketplace of ideas seems to be the most import value to me because people can take advantage of freedom when they start re-identifying what the truth is. The truth will always rise to the top and it is hard to determine where we draw the line.  There will always be truths and falsehoods to figure out in our country.