Eight Values of Free Expression

Which Value Resonates with Me the Most?

When considering the eight values of free expression, protecting dissent and promoting tolerance resonated with me the most and the two are practically intertwined. Throughout the course of history, minority groups have not been given the platform or representation that they deserve which has lead to their severe lack of protection. The most prominent example of the promotion of tolerance and the protection of dissent in United States history is the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's. African Americans were facing discrimination and were a greatly under-represented minority group. With these two values of free expression, the Civil Rights movement was able to make great change in our government system and society which lead to African Americans receiving equal rights. 

The protection of the dissent and the promotion of tolerance resonates with me the most because our society and government are lacking these free expression values the most. This is in large part due to the cancel culture movement that we are seeing across all social media platforms. In recent news, Bill Clinton's former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, called for the arrest of Elon Musk for removing all of X's (formerly known as Twitter) censor restrictions and interviewing 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump. This is also not just one instance. He has consistently promoted censorship and called for the arrest of the that do not comply because of their protected speech.

While I do not have the audience of Elon Musk, the promotion of tolerance and the protection of the dissent affects me significantly. With everything that is going on in the world today, I fear speaking my mind on an online platform or even in public for that matter due to popularity of recording. When I log onto a social media platform, I always see someone being harassed for a having differing view and I always worry that can happen to me and that it might even affect me down the road with a job. Granted, I have never said or will say anything hateful, but I do find myself in the minority opinion or disagreeing opinion. In addition, you never know what you could be canceled for these days. I didn't think I'd ever see the day where people would call for your arrest because you interviewed a United States presidential candidate that received over 17 million votes in their primary. 

Which Value Is the Most Important to Me?

When considering which of the eight values of free expression is most important to me, check on governmental power came right to mind. We all know that the founding fathers set up the structure of our government as a system of checks and balances, but how does the role of the governed place checks on the government? The constituents of the National, State, County, and Local governments can place a check on government in a plethora of ways that can positively affect change. 

A free press protected in the First Amendment allows for any abuses by the government to be effectively communicated to voters across the country. This causes a ripple affect as constituents reading the messages reported by the press can take multiple courses of action. The most popular course of action is taking it to the ballot. Within the United States National government, constituents vote for the House of Representatives every two years, the president every four years, and the Senate every six years. This ensures that the government is held responsible to the voters. 

Another course of action that is also protected in the First Amendment is the right of the people to peaceably assemble (the right to protest). If the government is abusing its power, you can check it by protesting in any public forum. The course of action that makes this value of free expression the most important to me is advocacy which also happens to be protected by the First Amendment. I am working towards a career in lobbying and want to advocate for issues that the government has the power to address. Last spring, I worked with a team of advocates to lobby bill H.R.345  or "The Trust in Congress Act" to the House of Representatives to prevent insider trading within Congress. We asked members of Congress to cosponsor the bill and for the members of the House Administration committee to bring it to a vote. We were able to present the bill as a winnable issue as 87% of Americans believed that insider trading within Congress is currently an issue and received multiple cosponsors. Now, the government doesn't necessarily have to listen to protesters or advocates, but it puts pressure on them to do something about the

issue. It is also an effective check of the government because a politician's number one goal is to be re-elected and they will likely want to work with protestors and advocates so that they are a more winnable candidate for future elections.

What Value Do I See the Most in the Modern Era?

The participation in self-government is the most common value of free expression that I see in the modern era, especially in 2024 because it is an election year. Both U.S. presidential candidates are currently trying to effectively communicate their policies and address concerns so that the voters can be well informed when they get to the ballot. Recently, the Trump/Vance campaign sent Senator Vance to sit down and do the Meet the Press interview with NBC News to share their stances and policies on popular issues while also addressing any concerns for voters. On the other side of the aisle, the Harris/Walz campaign both sat down with Dana Bash on CNN This Morning to take their own stances on popular issues and address the concerns their voters have with their campaign. 

On September 10th, Former-President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will be debating each other for the first time. This is their opportunity to take a stance on issues and address concerns with their opponent's policies for the whole nation to see. This is a crucial part in the participation of self-government because we want the public to be as informed as they can be when they get to the ballot box. When the voters are highly informed and vote in high numbers, it significantly increases the legitimacy of new government when it takes office in January 2025.