Together, the eight values of free expression help explain why it is critical to our lives that everyone has the right to express themselves freely without fear of repercussions, whether they are popular or unpopular ideas.
The value of free expression that resonates most with me is the value of seeking individual self-fulfillment. This is, in part, because it is not a way that I had never really made the connection between free speech and how a person creates their own identity. The ability to share what I believe allows me to better understand who I am and who might be “my people”.
I believe that the most important value may be the one that protects dissent. It is essential to our democracy that everyone has the right to express their beliefs, especially when they are in disagreement with the government. Without that protection, our democratic system of government may stop functioning. Dictatorships are built on the idea of stopping free expression. We have to make sure that, in America, we protect the right to criticize our leaders.
The value of free expression that feels most personal to me is the value to promote tolerance. I believe that this value connects with me because it is a reminder to me to try to listen to other viewpoints, not just of politicians or journalists, but also of my friends and family who may think differently than I do. I also hope that other people will be respectful of my positions, even when we may be coming from very different places on issues that are important to me.
I believe that we can see all of these values in action today. For example, with the current Presidential election, we can see how the right to participate in self-government can impact our politics. Voters have options to listen to a broad range of media to learn about candidates. While one could argue that the biases in reporting make it difficult to sort through the accuracy of reporting, it is still critical that voters have the choice to consider different positions in order to hopefully make good decisions.
I believe that freedom of expression is particularly important to Americans because it is part of our heritage. Our country was founded on the bravery of American colonists speaking out against the King and English rule. The Bill of Rights then firmly established the right to free speech and it has been a foundation of our culture and political system and a way that we have differentiated our democracy from the rights in many other countries.
These values are more than theoretical and interact on a practical level with our society today. For example, without the ability to speak out against those currently in power, we would not have a check on governmental power. Recent examples of this can be found on both sides of the political spectrum during the last two presidencies. Both Trump and Biden have plenty of people speaking out against their policies and the way that they have led the country. In the current election, each party refers to what happened while their opponent has been in charge and what they think another 4 years (or either Trump or Biden) would mean to America. This freedom to criticize candidates who either were or are in positions of power, will hopefully help educate voters to make a good decision.
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