The 8 Values of Free Expression

The world is continuing to grow creating a more diverse and creative society due to the expression of freedom of speech. We all know that working together is better than working apart from one another. At times, it can feel like the world is working against each other which will eventually get us nowhere.

Promote innovation, founded by Jack Balkin and his book Living Originalism, and a merit of the 8 key values for free expression, invokes a community where free speech is valued and protected. This to me feels very prevalent with our society today. What comes to mind is the LGBTQ+ community. Due to their ability to speak and act freely, they're creating a more diverse society, along with spreading knowledge to others who may be too scared to speak up or come out. With this idea, our society will find themselves more energized and creative fulfilling their place and creating a diverse world. Our country allows us to have our own ideas and opinions about everything, in which most other countries don't allow. Each and every one of us is so unique and is able to spread new ideas freely due to our first amendment rights. We have the opportunity to come together and create new conversations or stand individually and share ideas openly. 

Protect Dissent is another value that supports my idea. This idea agrees that our first amendment protects all views, no matter how unpopular. We have the right to agree or even argue against the government as well as other people. It states that as U.S. citizens, it’s our duty to criticize the government making it stronger and better in the long run. As a citizen who is on neither side of the political party, I find this idea to be extremely important and sometimes overlooked. Personally, I think it’s easy to feel pressured to pick a side and stick with it, but with this merit, it allows us to have our own ideas, argue with the government, and create a better world with equal opportunities for us all. The government will never grow without some criticism. 

Lastly, Stable Change is another value I feel agrees to my main idea. Stable Change suggests that a society that is able to speak their mind completely or “vent,” will be more stable and could resort in less violence. This is easy to relate back to in our normal lives. If we hold in our thoughts and feelings for too long, it is inevitable that we will reach a breaking point. I feel this is why debates are so popular, because it’s constant disagreement back and forth but civilly, allowing entertainment yet getting important ideas across. It takes a single person, a single idea to light a fire and get a conversation started. Most of the time all we need is a conversation to put an end to something or start a new idea. We must remember that this is our one and only life and we have resources to use to help make the world a better place. Violence isn’t necessary, coming together as a society is what matters.