BLOG POST #3 Eight Values of Free Expression

    The eight values of free expression are what scholars use to describe why freedom expression is so important to Americans. The main idea of these values of free expression is that individuals should be able to speak and express themselves freely without the governments interference which allows for diverse perspectives throughout society. These eight values of free expression include: marketplace of ideas, participation in self-government, stable change, individual self-fulfillment, check on governmental power, promote tolerance, promote innovation, and protect dissent. These expressions help protect the foundational principles that we need as a healthy democracy and help to check power. The first ammendment is constantly being excerised by individuals today, therefore it consistently shapes our daily lives. If we did not have these free expression values, our world would look very different. 

    

    Marketplace of Ideas, also referred to as the discovery of truth, is a very important part of my personal life and I believe it should be important to others as well. This value of free expression was first suggested by John Milton. Milton wore a pamphlet known as 'Areopagitica', which uses historical, religious, and pracitical reasons to oppose requiring individuals to have a license in order to publish. This means that anyone is allowed to publish whatever they want to and it does not have to be licensed. I think that this best relates to our society today because it connects back to social media. Social media sites are platforms where all individuals are able to post ideas to the general public. Social media gives people the ability to post anything they want, whether it be true or not, and whether it may be a good idea or a bad idea. If the marketplace of ideas was not present, we would not be able to post what we wanted without the government interfering. Would anyone really want the government telling them what they can and cannot post on thier Instagram? Short answer, no they would not. This value keeps the government from deciding what they want posted and what they do not, which therefore protects our first amendment right.

    Promote Innovation, keeps our world innovative and expanding everyday. Promotion of Innovation is most evidently seen through Jack Balkins 'Living Originalism'.  This freedom ensures that free speech is valued and protected, and this keeps our world more innovative and interesting, because people are able to fulfill themselves in many different ways. If this value was not protected through our first amendment right, it is likely that our society would not be growing as much as it is today. Without this, our citizens would essentially be kept in a box, and nobody would be able to express new ideas. Think about how many technology softwares and devices would not be available, if the government was committed to holding back innovation. It is likely that the world we live in today would be vastly different. 

    Promote Tolerance, proposed by Lee Bollinger in her writing, 'The Tolerant Society: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech'. It is believed that a tolerant society is a better society. This freedom ensures that individuals are able to say what they want to say, whether it may offend someone or not. In a world where everything that is said is bound to be offensive to someone, this is very important. If we weren't able to post anything that might offend someone, social media would simply be nonexistent. This amendment protects hate speech, becuase it can help society learn valuable lessons about why it is hateful and worthy of being taken down. This is how norms are able to be spread regarding acceptable behavior. If the government took down any and every post that offends someone, they would be creating very weak citizens that have little to no tolerance.