Blog Post #4: Eight Values of Free Expression: Which Ones Are Most Prominent?

     The Eight Values of Free Expression are all very useful to know in the modern day when expressing opinions on things. They are very useful and important to keep in mind in the modern political climate. The 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.

    I think the most important value in regards to politics nowadays and in the past is Check On Government Power. The definition of this is that freedom of press allows citizens to learn about abuses of power, and allows citizens the option to try and do something about it, thus keeping the government in check. The government often tries to hide things it does and attempts to cover it up, and this is true on both sides of the political spectrum. The government often manages to hide or undersell what they have been doing, which leads to scandals, or in some cases absolutely no repercussions whatsoever if they get away with it. Keeping a check on government is always a good idea, as it at least makes it harder for the government to get away with doing things under citizen's noses. We live in a democracy, a government in which the citizens decide what is best for the country, but that is impossible if the government is doing things without confronting the citizens and country they are governing. Without giving the citizens a full picture and allowing them to decide what they feel and what to do about it, the government is depriving people of the basic right of a democracy. 

    Another one of the most important values in my eyes is Promoting Tolerance. The definition of this is pretty much how it sounds, stating how society should be more tolerant overall. It notes that hate speech is technically protected by the first amendment because society will condemn those who use hate speech themselves, serving as just enough punishment and curating a more tolerant society in the process. This is often seen on something like social media. If someone were to spread hate speech, they could get their account banned, could lose their job, or other such punishments. While not punishments done by the government, they are strong enough to make most people know that hate speech is not something to spread around and should/will be condemned. 

https://www.aclu.org/other/freedom-expression 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12142-020-00608-8?awc=26429_1681316387_20ff5e6b293999fd8c631429adc39c09&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=awin&utm_campaign=CONR_BOOKS_ECOM_DE_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=143466