Blog Post #4

It's easy to know that probably one of the most well known, and high held Amendments of the United States Constitution, is the Freedom of Speech. Of course, what Amendment wouldn't be so protected as our freedom of speech. As stated in the U.S. Constitution, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Ever since it's declared independence from Great Britain, America has held itself to be a symbol of freedom and expression. It is important that we protect these freedoms, and follow our constitution to uphold our rights. But there are times in which these freedoms are infringed upon, or abused, especially in a world of tech spread media and news. As stated, the eight values of free expression are Marketplace of Ideas, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Check on Government Power, Promote Tolerance, Promote Innovation, and Protect Dissent.

One of the values of free expression I find the most important is Protect Dissent, or, our protected right to hold our own opinions, and to disagree with the government, and others. I believe that as a citizen, I have a right to look at our system of government, and criticize what may be unjust, corrupt, or out of place. Not only that, but it looks into how we respond to others' use of their freedom of speech. As said by Steve Shiffrin, it can be implicated when approaching controversial topics, as it doesn't just take the side of those protesting, or the side of the government, but it breaks down both, criticizing and pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of a system and those who wish to change it.

Another I believe is very important, is Promoting Tolerance. In our freedom of speech, a lot of times, it can be misused for hateful or sadistic reasons. But the 1st amendment protects those forms of speeches, practically filing it under rightful protesting. But why should this tolerance for it be practiced? Well, with such a diverse media and internet presence, it would be near impossible to cover all aspects of such speech, something the government would not be able to do, not without strongly restricting our right of free speech within unlawful limitations. But, the government does not need to intervene. Now, there are many people who will stand up to hateful comments and text based assault all over the internet. While this has developed what is called a "cancel culture", it certainly has targeted hate groups that cause harm over websites and social media.

Our freedom of speech is something that should be closely protected, especially in a digital world where anything and everything can be sent across the entire globe. With that in mind, we as citizens must see our freedoms, and apply them properly, rather than abuse them for personal gain.