Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Blog Post #3: 8 Values of Expression

The 8 Values of Expression are as follows; a Marketplace of Ideas says when the true and false ideas are able to travel freely, the truth will always flourish. Participation in Self-Government is people not being able to make smart decisions in elections if candidates and policies are restricted with what they are able to communicate. Stable Change is the government's interest in letting people "vent" which enables the government to better monitor potentially dangerous groups who might otherwise be more cautious.

Individual Self-Fulfillment is creative expression, becoming who one is with the government interfering. The people and press are a Check on Government Power to make sure they don't abuse their power. Promoting Tolerance is the idea that if hate speech is allowed, then it will lead to a more tolerant society.

Promoting Innovation is a society where ideas are allowed to flow freely leading to energized, creative, and interesting society. Protecting Dissent is the minority point of view getting more first amendment protection than the majority point of view.


The value that speaks to me the most is Individual Self-Fulfillment. What I like the most about this value is it gives me the ability to express myself however I want and create an identity unique to me. I think of myself as a creative person so being able to say and do whatever I want to express myself without any interference is great.

One value I see notably in society and in the media is the Marketplace of Ideas. In the media especially, it's not always obvious at first what might be truthful or deceptive, but as time passes and more articles are written or more evidence is found, it becomes more obvious when a claim is true or false.

Our founding fathers knew the importance of freedom of speech, press, and assembly. So much so, that these freedoms became the 1st amendment of the Bill of Rights. The 8 Values of Expression are a more detailed set of clauses that the 1st amendment gives the people.