After reading the Eight Values of Free Expression, there are a lot of things that I found that really resonate with me, and some that I actually disagree with. A lot of these values that struck a chord with me have to do with personal reasons or things that I have heard being the case for others. On the other side of the coin, there are things that I definitely feel strongly that are not necessarily true for all. I will look at these values one by one and explain my feelings on each (in a timely manner, of course).
1. Marketplace of Ideas (aka Discovery of Truth)
I agree that this is an excellent value that strikes a chord with me especially because of my background in creative fields. A marketplace of ideas is "the concept that in a society, different beliefs can freely compete with one another in an open, transparent public discourse instead of being censored by the government or some part of society." By this definition, it should be something that people heavily support within America. It's how we are able to have a two party system because of the existence of two different ideas in an open discourse. It also is the same reason that we have open places of protest (i.e D.C.) where they are able to practice transparent public discourse.
2. Participation in Self-Government
Of course this one is also as important, maybe even more so than the Marketplace of Ideas. The entire point of our constitution, the two-party system, and the democracy that we are founded on is an attempt at stopping the formation of a king or dictator. Allowing citizens to participate in self-government reinforces those ideals by making sure people are informed and are making the best choices for themselves and/or their country. I spoke about this in my final EOTO but the minute that people are unable to get important information about those that they are voting for, the minute that we are losing our control over our say in the government.
3. Stable Change
When I first read this value, I thought of a soda can. The more that you shake it up without opening it, the more likely it is to explode and make a mess. However, if you are to shake it and then open the can, it will spill over. The difference between these two is that a can that has exploded has no drink left to offer along with the structure of the can being destroyed in the process, while a can that has spilled over can still be enjoyed and can even be refilled. This value is insanely important, especially as a younger person that before I was able to vote, all I could do was vent and hope that people would make choices that would benefit my own. I absolutely agree with the rest of the value and see that it makes a lot of sense that this would also allow for safe envir
onment to monitor those that are angry. Giving a place to vent, unlike China or some Middle Eastern countries, is the best way to deter violence and get a sense of who would enact violence of venting isn't enough. We've seen this plenty of times in today's age with BLM, MeToo, Stonewall, Boston Tea Party, America's Founding, etc. There are so many examples of things where venting was necessary before it exploded that it honestly seems like it might just be human nature. We have a problem, we vent, we explode, we come down, and then we forget about it after a few months.
4. Individual Self-Fulfillment
This is one of the values that of course, from a fundamental point I really support, but from a realistic perspective I don't. Self-fulfillment, or self-actualization, is a concept heavily saturated within clinical and behavioral psychology. It seems like an amazing thing to hit at some point, as we see on the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. With a bit of a psychology background, the minute that I read this value I groaned. Self-actualization can be seen at the very tip of the pyramid, and of course that's after everything else is fulfilled (i.e food, water, shelter, socialization, love, etc.) It's the one thing that people become even more depressed following so that's why, as a value, I really don't agree with it.
5. Check on Governmental Power
Like we talked about in class, gatekeeping exists in all forms and in different ways. It also ties in heavily with venting and being able to self-govern, I would say. A lot of the examples of Clintongate I've seen all have to do with people not liking how things are being run so they attempt to gatekeep or boycott a specific thing for a reason that they deem justified. This usually comes in a form of protest or other ways that they voice their displeasure. I think that this value is what separates us from communist countries or those with dictatorships. We are able to do this with small to no repercussions as long as we're using our first amendment rights properly. Our freedom of press allows us to learn about the issues that make us upset or when things were mishandled and swept under the rug, while our freedom of protest and speech allows us to openly vent. All in all, the same reason that venting is necessary is similar to the reason that this is important as well.
6. Promote Tolerance
This is definitely one that I don't agree with. Call it the fact that I'm a Gen Z, but the thought of tolerating hate just sounds like a waste. There should be a better definition of hate speech so that it can be properly separated from just plain old bullying. I'm not saying that people shouldn't have thick skin either. I have heard a lot of things in my short time on earth that are pretty hurtful all things considered, some even being defined as hate speech, but that doesn't stop me from going out and doing the things I love, or being the person that I love. Tolerance of hate is compliance, in my personal opinion, so this value is one that I fundamentally can't agree with. Saying bad things that people don't agree with is infinitely different than threatening someone's identity.
7. Promote Innovation
Creativity, as someone in a creative field, is a value that I personally find incredibly important. I can see that correlation between free speech equaling a higher level of creativity within a community, as well. The more free you are to speech, the more free you are to think. The more free you are to think, the more free you are to act. Innovation is the key to progression, and to have that free speech is a must. Hate is destructive by nature and in a roundabout way, I think that this value actually disproves number 6. If you are tolerant, you stay stagnant. However, if you are progressing and moving past things that are wrong, that is by definition promoting innovation.
This point I think is really often forgotten or misconstrued that minority views are more important than majority views. Both should be equitable with the eventual result being equality. This value is also a reference to the fact that we are able to disagree with our government, as opposed to other places like North Korea or China. Ultimately, I think this value is important as well given that it's one of the main things that separates us from other global powers. Without Free Speech, America isn't that much better or separated from other countries.
I think in general, I do really appreciate all the values listed here. They really got me thinking about my role within my Freedom of Speech and within self-government. While I might not have agreed with the importance of all of these opinions, I think that it's an excellent foundation for a functional and fair America.
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