The Eight Values of Free Expression

Eight Values of Free Expression are as follows: Marketplace of Ideas, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Check on Governmental Power, Promote Tolerance, Promote Innovation, and Protect Dissent.

These eight values are something that I had no idea about until we learned about them in class. All eight of these values have a direct impact and meaning toward our freedom of speech. After learning about them all and observing what each one does, I have found that there are three that matter the most to me.

The first one being the Participation in Self-Government. This means that citizens will not make informed and good decisions in regards to elections if they do not know how candidates stand for certain policies. Simply put, citizens need to be able to communicate with government officials as well as candidates and vice-versa. This is important to me, because this is the first year that I am able to vote and I want to know that I am making a well-informed choice and whomever I select for any position.

Individual Self-Fulfillment (aka Self-Actualization) is another one that is incredibly important to me. This is when free speech lets people be themselves and explore their own identities. Personally, I love being able to continually explore and change my identity by using my first amendment right of free speech. This is most prominent by my use on social media. Often, I find myself and others using platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat to express ourselves with trends, videos, pictures, and even how we text.

Lastly, Protect Dissent is important to me because it protects all opinions and views, no matter how unpopular they are. This, in turn, means that all people have the right to disagree with things as big as the government and as little as yourself. There are two extremely big and difficult topics that are being talked about right now that help showcase this value. 

The first is the current Israeli and Palestinian conflict. This topic has been an extremely "popular" topic of conversation within the news, on social media platforms, and in person via protests. Even political figures, actors, musicians, and regular civilians have been talking about it. They have been criticizing countries, governments, people, and platforms that have not done anything to put an official end to the crisis. This showcases how "protect dissent" is crucial for this conversation that has been occurring and continues to thrive in the media.

The second is the overturning of Roe v. Wade. When this was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022, many people spoke out about their opinions and how they felt regarding it. This topic of conversation has been extremely rampant ever since. There has been a range of ways that this conversation has been spread. This most popular has been protests, rallies, post on social media, articles, and the news. This example however, is a better example of "protect dissent" that is being directed at our government because they are directly talking about their negative feelings both towards the U.S. government and the Supreme Court. 

Overall, all of the eight values are incredibly important- not only to us, but to our Government as well. While there may be three values that I relate towards more than others, that does not mean that they are more important. Quite the opposite actually- they are all as important as the others. Therefore, it is to say no matter how you like to exercise your free speech, whether it is online, in person, or by how you conduct yourself around others, it is your right and your duty to conduct it how you see fit.