Blog Post #4- Values of Free Expression

     One of the values of free expression that really stuck out to me and that I felt was very important was the check on government power. Without this one of our branches of government could be holding more power than others and be irresponsible. This allows for the other branches to check on each other while also allowing the citizens to check on the government. This is very important that it allows the citizens to check because sometimes they may see something that the other branches of government look over. We saw this being used a few years ago when they tried to impeach president Donald Trump. This is a great example of why it is important to have these checks on the government so that no one abuses the power that they hold.  

    Another value that I think is very important is Individual Self-Fulfillment. This is very important to me because our freedom of speech is how we express our feelings and opinions toward certain situations. I also think that this value is very important because what we have to say may influence others to have the same opinion or to express their opinions. One way we see this is by the protests and different social movements that have occurred in the past few years. For example people were able to voice their opinions during the Black Lives Matter Movement which was a great example of people using their first amendment right, freedom of speech. Another example of this is people voicing their opinions on the states being given the right to decide whether or not they want ban women from being allowed to have an abortion. People are able to have more self-fulfillment in today's world now that they have access to the internet and social media and have the opportunity to share their opinion with people across the world. This explains why these issues are being talked about so much, since now people have a greater opportunity to connect with others than just people locally around them.

    The final one of the eight values that stood out to me was to protect dissent. To sum this up, it states that no matter how much of a minority they are, their voice still matters just as much as everyone else's. This is a very important value in my opinion because it clearly includes all minorities and does not exclude anyone from feeling that their opinions are not justified. This is a very important value to think about because even in todays society some people still think that the majorities voices matter more than the minorities which is not the case. We have seen social movements like, Black Lives Matter, try and change this although it is still happening. Social media has definitely made a big impact on this value because it allows for minorities to share their opinions with everyone rather than just the people who choose to listen to what they have to say. This is very important because it is helping society make a step in the right direction of letting everyone feel that their voices and opinions are heard equally.