Reflection on the Eight Values of Free Expression

Over the past few weeks, I have learned about the meaning and evolution of the 1st amendment and why it's so important to Americans, but especially to journalists and bloggers. In today's political landscape, the 1st amendment is crucial to Americans and the health of our democracy which leads to the significance of the eight values of free expression. After reviewing all eight values, I believe they are all important but from a personal standpoint, there are three of these values that stand out.   

Stable Change

Stable change (or safety valve), was talked about by Benedict Spinoza and expresses that citizens are allowed to speak their thoughts and problems protectively so that there is less violence. The thought is that if you give people a safe platform to be able to speak out on topics, they won't immediately get violent. This also allows the government to oversee possible dangerous groups. This value is successful because citizens here can express how they feel while being protected under the 1st amendment. For example, Americans have the right to express their emotions during abortion protests, without the fear of being punished for their views. We can speak out against (or for) anything we want, as long as we aren’t hurting anyone and this is not a right that many other countries in the world have.

Promote Innovation

Promote Innovation, important to Jack Balkin, says that when free speech is valued and protected, citizens become more creative, and society becomes more energized and interesting. When we give everyone a chance to voice their opinions, we have the chance to hear everyone's side and pick the best of all our ideas. For example, in a debate about abortion rights, hearing multiple viewpoints could lead politicians to make laws that allow victims of rape and incest to be able to get an abortion instead of an outright ban, or add longer timeframes to when someone could get an abortion. Compromise is essential to society and thoughtful debates and discussion.

Protect Dissent 

Protect dissent, fought for by Steve Shiffrin, expresses that the 1st amendment protects all views no matter how unpopular to the masses and that any person has the right to disagree with the government and anyone else. He believed that "dissenting speech should be given special prominence in any discussion of free-speech values, as it serves as a powerful tool to challenge existing injustices and oppressive systems." A good example I can indicate is Roe v Wade getting overturned. This case of being unprotected by the constitution and being given up to the states upset so many people I personally know, and also people I saw across social media. Still today you can find celebrities and influencers sharing their resources and expressing how much of a fight it will be likely for a very long time. It’s important to free speech that people feel safe expressing their opinions on topics like these.

We are lucky to live in a place where our right to free speech is protected by our constitution, and the Eight Values of Freedom of Expressions exist to reinforce the idea that everyone has the right to express their opinions, even when unpopular. This strengthens our democracy by giving everyone space to provide ideas and have a say.