Blog Post #3

8 Values of Free Expression 

    The First Amendment specifically states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." The First Amendment ensures our right to freedom of expression. This means the government can't dictate what we like, think, write about, or believe in. The eight values of Free Expression demonstrate how the First Amendment is utilized in the world. Going over the eight values of free expression was informative, and below, I will highlight some that I thought were important and resonated with me. 

Many of the eight values stood out to me. They are all so important and shape how society is able to function. I think arguably the most important value to our government system is a check on governmental power, especially after reading the article and watching the video on the Supreme Court; it's so important to have checks and balances in our government system. This essentially prevents any one branch of government from doing anything they don't have the power to do. We have the right as citizens to call them out on it. 

The next one that resonated with me is individual self-fulfillment, which protects our ability to think, express ourselves, and believe what we want. Freedom of expression is necessary to promote individual self-fulfillment. Identity is what makes each person who they are; opinions, beliefs, and how they behave are all included in your identity. The freedom to express yourself allows individuals not to be condemned for their perspectives and opinions. This is so important in today's world. Each person has their own personal identity and their 

own voice, which deserves to be heard. Individuality makes each person unique; this is how we get diverse opinions. 

Another two values that resonated with me  are connected to each other. These are participation in self-government and protect dissent. Participation in self-government displays a dialogue with the government and can be seen as the central meaning of the First Amendment. Protect dissent reiterates that the First Amendment protects minority views. Along with the participation of self-government, protecting dissent states that it is your right and duty to criticize the government. No matter how unpopular, you have a right to disagree with the government. This applies to more than just the government. Even if 99% goes one way, the 1% on the other side still matters. This is very important in today's world. It would be best if you did not have to worry about opposing another viewpoint and being prosecuted for it. This would only force people to go with the majority and not express there true beliefs. 

The ones my group talked about that we found important in today's world were promoting innovation and a marketplace of ideas. We thought these values were connected to each other and displayed how most people communicate their First Amendment rights. Innovation helps our world evolve; without it, our world would be vastly different. People would feel unsafe to share ideas. Innovation requires the First Amendment protections to work properly. The First Amendment encourages an environment of innovation where ideas, opinions, challenges, and competition can flourish. The marketplace of ideas reflects the concept of sharing diverse opinions and beliefs. The most valid ideas will triumph through competition. I believe this strongly advocates for free speech and free press since the opposite would be prior restraint, which refers to the government dictating what you think or believe. When the government interferes with the flow of ideas, it's called a marketplace failure. If people are afraid to be creative and share ideas with one another then competition becomes inefficient.