Prior to this assignment, I had never been exposed to the eight values of free speech. It was very interesting to learn about the different expressions and see which ones stuck out to me. The eight values are as follows: Marketplace of Ideas, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Check on Governmental Power, Promote Tolerance, Promote Innovation, and Protect Dissent. These values help to describe our most valuable right as an American citizen, free speech.
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| America |
The first value that really grabbed my attention was Protect Dissent which is simply put is our ability to have any opinion we want no matter how small or unpopular. To me, this is the simplest way to describe how it feels to be an American. As an American I can not only be a free thinker but I can criticize my own government and make it known that I am dissatisfied with how it is run. This value allows for our country to run as a true democracy and ensure it’s run by the people, with the people’s best interest in mind.
This value does beg the question, does our current government still hold true to this value? Does our ability to voice our opinion still matter? The short answer is, yes our opinion does still matter in today’s society. However, in recent years, the government has certainly not shown their concern for the country’s opinion as a whole and has been caught censoring opinions through private companies to push an agenda. Lots of Americans see that as an opportunity to stop caring and disconnect from politics altogether but I see that as the exact reason we were granted this right by the founding fathers. The only people who matter are Americans and Americans need to stand together and call out the corrupt aspects of our government to ensure we do not lose this value. I have started to follow politics much closer in the past couple years and it was sparked by hearing some ‘conspiracy theories’ that ended up being facts. Protecting dissent is one of the ways that America can thrive but if Americans stand idle while our rights are stripped away, America will continue to trend downwards causing the collapse of our democracy.
| Right to vote |
We see these values pop up throughout history but the one that stuck out to me recently is Participation in Self-Government. Everyone has always talked about how it's our duty as Americans to vote in elections and have an impact on our country and who it’s run by but I did not think too much of it until the election this past November. The ability to have a say in who holds the highest office in the country is a truly beautiful part of America’s democracy. To see the amount of people who were advocating for both sides that are similar in age to me, is really powerful. I was able to vote in the 2020 election so I have a little more experience than some people my age do when it comes to elections but I still have very little experience. The difference between the 2020 presidential election and the 2024 presidential election was massive. The election in 2024 allowed for so many people to voice their opinions about the different candidates whether it was good or bad. I was able to have conversations about the candidates with people from the opposite end of the political spectrum and learn about how the other side thinks. No matter what side you were on, just seeing the amount of young people who were active in their government and fighting for their beliefs was really impactful. It shows how important it is for Americans to have this right to impact our government.
With the hostile political climate that we have seen in America today, it is important that we, as Americans, understand how crucial these values of free speech are in our lives. The ability to criticize one side heavily and praise the other side openly is a right that has been stripped from citizens all over the world and cannot be taken for granted in America.
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