Blog Post #3

    When it comes to talking about freedom of speech, there are eight values of the first amendment. The first value of the first amendment is the marketplace of ideas. The marketplace of ideas value is saying that if the truth and false were allowed to be freely spreaded that truth will always win. The second value is participation in self-government. Participation in self-government is the idea that if political candidates were unable to voice their positions because of restrictions, the citizens would not be able to make good decisions. The third value is stable change. Stable change is the idea that if angry people are allowed to speak freely about what they are angry about, they would be less likely to resort to violence and the government would be able to monitor threats better. The fourth value is individual self-fulfillment. Individual self-fulfillment is the idea that allowing people to express themselves freely is a basic human right. The fifth value is check on government power. Check on government power is the idea that allowing the press to report on politicians abusing power will help citizens make informed decisions. The sixth value is promote tolerance. Promote tolerance is the idea that if the government doesn’t censor hate speech, then the society will realize why it is hateful and become more tolerant. The seventh value is promote innovation. Promote innovation is the idea that people that live in society where freedom of speech is protected, that the people would fulfill their lives in multiple ways. The eighth and final value is protect dissent. Protect dissent is the idea that all opinions are protected under the first amendment no matter how unpopular it is. 

    The value that I feel is most important value of free expression is check on government power. Check on government power is the belief that the press should be able to freely report on governments abusing their power. I think that it is the most important value of free expression because it is a crucial part of check and balances, and that helps keep our government in check. This is the best way to make sure that our government does not abuse their powers. It is also important because it makes sure that the voters know when their government officials are abusing their powers and can make informed decisions based on the information. 

    The value that feels most personal to me is stable change. Stable change is the idea that if the government allows people to express their anger freely, they would be less likely to revolt and the government would be able to monitor potential threats easier. I said it was most personal to me because I love to vent and get out my anger, so that I don’t bottle it up. I don’t like to hold on to anger for too long because it doesn’t feel good to do so. I think that it is good because it lowers the risk of people revolting and it makes it easier to monitor threats. 

    The value that I see in action today is marketplace of ideas. Marketplace of ideas is the concept that is against monopolies. Monopolies happen when companies control all of a market and they can drive up the market price as high as they want. I see that in action everyday because the US has very many different companies in lots of different industries. I could probably name a million industries that operate in the US, and for all of those industries, I can name a million companies that are in that industry.