The Key Values of Free Expression

 The First Amendment is arguably the most important of the Amendments because it sets up so many precedents. The First Amendment allows us as Americans to be who we are and to have the privileges that many people in other countries don't have. Where else in the world is the word of ordinary people protected so well?

    Of the Eight Values of Free Expression that can be found in the First Amendment, the one that resonates with me the most is the 4th value. This value is called the "Individual Self-Fulfillment" value and it allows individuals to express themselves freely and thus create their own identity. This allows people to not only be their true selves but also to find others like them who have the same views. That is the beauty of this value. It not only protects an individual and their uniqueness, but also the uniqueness of others.

    

    I think the fact that the 4th value allows me to be myself is why I like it so much. One of the things that I most identify with myself is my words. What I say to others is a key part of who I am. How I come across to friends, family, and teachers is very important to me because that is my reputation and my legacy. Being able to create my own identity through my words is so special because, without it, I would just be a shell of who I am. If I couldn't truly voice my opinions or share my thoughts, I would be hiding. As said by the ABA "Censorship stunts personal growth and individual expansion." No one would ever get to know the real me. The real me would be trapped inside my own head. Luckily, it doesn't have to be that way. 

        

    If I had to choose one value that was most important to the nation itself, it would probably be the 5th value which is the "Check on Governmental Power" value. This value allows normal citizens to speak up about anything they don't agree with that the government has done. This includes calling out abuses of power, or just objecting to a new law simply because it goes against our own personal ideals. And if we feel especially strongly about the issue, we can take it to the ballots and oppose the person or law with no governmental consequences. This ensures that the government doesn't gain too much power and also allows for the values of the people to be heard. If a group of people doesn't like something the government is doing, they have the right to oppose it and work to create a solution. This also creates a balance within our society where one group may be in power, but there will be others who fight against them until they themselves are in power. This cycle continues so we are never stuck with one group in charge forever. This protects our democracy, which is why the 5th value is so important.  

     The value I think is most active in our society today is the 6th value, which is "Promote Tolerance". This means that any speech, including everything from accepted notions, to societally unaccepted, to even hate speech is protected. In this day and age, I think we put a lot of value on promoting tolerance. With social media and its reach, people with any kind of view can be found. This means everyone's voice can have an audience and a support group to back it back. So even if a person's ideas might be considered wrong in their community, that person can find a community online where they will be accepted. I also think this is in action a lot because currently, our society is the most accepting it has ever been of ideas that in the past have been considered "against the norm". You can see this clearly with the rise in all of the movements to protect different minority groups and their rights. 

    

    I also think the 6th value has a lot of application today because society decides what is not okay to be said. Because hate speech is technically protected under the Frist Amendment, this means that the government cannot tell people what hateful things not to say. The responsibility is instead left up to the people themselves. I think this is so important because the meanings of words change so much over time and those meanings are all based on how people feel. The government should not be able to put restrictions on what words people cannot say because it is aloof from the normal day-to-day lives of ordinary people. Plus, it would be nearly impossible to keep up with all the changes that are constantly happening to words and their meanings. It is better to let society choose what is acceptable to say and what is not. Those who are saying unacceptable things will learn their lesson without the need for government interference.