Blog #3 - The Eight Values of Free Expression

    The Eight Values of Free Expression are as written: Marketplace of Ideas, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Check on Governmental Power, Promote Tolerance, Promote Innovation, and Protect Dissent. These core values help define and shape our American right and privilege to free speech.

    Going into writing this blog, I did not know much about these principles, rather, I looked solely to the 6 clauses or freedoms listed in the 1st Amendment. While our right to freedom of speech is clearly set by the definition of the 1st Amendment, it was interesting reading through the values and making connections to past and present America.

    To start, I felt the value that best resonates with me is that of Individual Self-Fulfillment (aka Self-Actualization) defined as "Free speech enables individuals to express themselves and thereby create their own identity — and, in the process perhaps, find kindred spirits. Freedom of speech thus becomes an aspect of human dignity, human agency and autonomy" (Baker). This was fascinating to break down because it raised two thoughts.

    My initial thought was immense pride in having these rights; the ability to be an individual, create your own identity. This allows for reflecting on decisions you made independently, and how it leads to improved human dignity. My next thought was reflecting once again on my pride, noting how blessed we are to be American and have the rights to many forms of freedom. It also raised questions about how civilians in nations with nearly no granted freedom would have considerably less human dignity based on these values. While many civilians in these other nations may feel miserable or trapped because this lack of freedom, certain beliefs lead many nations to respect this denial of freedom.

    Moving forward, while all eight values could be viewed as equally important, people may view certain values higher then others. Personally, I believe there are two principles that rise slightly higher then the rest. 

    The first value is Check on Governmental Power (aka Watchdog Role) which is defined as "As Watergate, Irangate, Clintongate and all the other "gates" demonstrate, freedom of the press enables citizens to learn about abuses of power — and then do something about the abuse at the ballot box if they feel so moved. We, along with the press, are part of the check-and-balance system to restrains government power and abuse of power" (Blasi). I feel this is extremely important as our entire government relies on this system of checks and balances, allowing an equal distribution of power amongst the three branches. Checks and balances is much more then just the system our government relies on to divide the three branches, but it is used within almost all branches and gives power to the people, allowing us to keep our government in check.

    The second value is that of Protect Dissent, defined as "Our system is not supposed to be one of mob rule. The First Amendment protects minority views, no matter how unpopular. You have a strongly protected right to disagree with the government — and everyone else. In fact, it is your patriotic duty to criticize the government" (Shiffrin). I feel this is incredibly important because it is something commonly misunderstood amongst many Americans, especially the younger generations. Having this right is especially unique to America, with governmental powers and leaders typically only allowing praise; such as North Korea. Having this right helps us, again, keep the government in check and gives us a higher sense of human dignity.

    Next, the value that felt the most personal to me was Promote Innovation, defined as "A community in which free speech is valued and protected is likely to be a more energized, creative, interesting society as its citizens actively fulfill themselves in many diverse and interesting ways" (Balkin). Always striving to be creative, it has only just become a realization that freedom permits creativity. After reading this value, it immediately stuck out to me because, like everything else in the world, creativity, energy, and interest are frequencies; always flowing, constantly changing. I reflected on these frequencies and noticed a direct correlation to different forms of freedom and how they increased the strength of these frequencies.

    To finish, I wanted to look at the values most connected to the state of modern America. The two values I felt are most applicable today are Participation in Self-Government and Stable Change.

    Participation in Self-Government has been defined as "It has been suggested that citizens will not make wise and informed choices in elections if candidates and proponents of certain policies are restricted in their ability to communicate positions. We want an informed electorate involved in debate" (Meiklejohn). I felt this is extremely relative to the world we live in because we just finished an election where candidates did tours spreading their beliefs and intended policies. I was also particularly interesting in how social media greatly benefits this value, as information regarding current politics spread quickly across platforms.

    Stable Change (aka Saftey Valve) is considered "It has been suggested that a society in which angry and alienated citizens are allowed to speak their mind, or "vent," will be more stable, as people will be less likely to resort to violence.  It has also been pointed out that allowing the alienated and discontented to speak freely enables government to better monitor potentially dangerous groups who would otherwise act more clandestinely. Ultimately, it is in the governments own self-interest to allow such venting" (Spinoza). I felt this was tied to present time because, like with Protect Dissent, many people need to understand that having the ability to speak out and openly against acts made by the government is our civic duty. While modern political disagreements tend to blow out of proportion due to social media and radical ideals, many Americans need to understand that venting about our government is a protected, valued, and crucial American right.