Blog Post #4 - Values of Free Expression

The Eight Values of Free Expression.

Sometimes it is hard to figure out what our "values of free expression" are, but maybe it is more important for us to take a look than we thought. The eight values are Marketplace of Ideas, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Check on Governmental Power, Promote Tolerance, Promote Innovation, and Protect Dissent. The main idea of the eight values of free expression are the ultimately our rights that we should know as a country when it comes to expression of our beliefs and voices.

Personally, I believe that Individual Self-Fulfillment and Check on Governmental Power are two of the most important for us as a society. Individual Self-Fulfillment is ultimately our fundamental rights to expressing ourselves as individuals, which allows us to create our own personal identities. This causes us to differentiate each of our views from one another, but we all still have the rights to have our respective "human dignity, human agency, and autonomy." The differences between every person and their beliefs, morals, ethics, etc., are the reason as to why this country is the way that it is. Without our differences, there would not be as much diversity as there is today. Our differences is what brings us together. The government has a way of making all individuals think that the differences that we have are the reason for our issues in the country, when unreality, we should be focusing a little more on what they are doing, which is why we need the ability to check on them to be a right. There must be a reason it has to be protected ... right? Checking on Governmental Power is important for us during this time especially because it brings us the knowledge of what is going on in relation to us, the people. This allows us to be able to learn the ins and outs of our system and the possible, yet now clear, abuse of power. Both the country and the press are involved in the check-and-balance system. The check-and-balance system gives an equal amount of power to the three branches, Legislative, Executive, and Judicial, which guarantees a balance of power. The actions of the government effect each and ever citizen of the United States, and it is important for us to be able to learn what it going on. As a society, us being able to fully comprehend the things that our government is doing is highly important, and thankfully we have the freedom to be able to get that knowledge that we need. 

I believe that all of the values of free expression are necessary in order for us to have order, but I also believe that we need to pay closer attention to what is protected as a right. In some cases I think we should be aware that having our own thoughts and beliefs and being able to have knowledge of the government that is in power of our country should not have to be protected, but rather just a fundamental right.