8 Values of Free Expression

 

The Supreme Court has clarified free expression as an artistic form of freedom of speech. However, free expression only protects so much. You cannot do or say anything you want, and it has consequences; it has to be within reason. The Supreme Court tends to lean on “content neutrality,” which is that the government is not allowed to censor or restrict a form of expression because some populations do not like the content. Free expression allows people to ask for shelter, food, drink, and clothes. It is more beneficial than just promoting ideas. It gets people the crucial items they need. 

1. Individual Self- Fulfillment

This value resonated with me the most because everyone is different in one way or another, which is essential because we need variety in the world. In many situations, people need to be a certain way, to act or look a certain way, but through this value, everyone is being told to have individuality. The value also helps with human dignity because some people feel they cannot be different and lose sight of who they are. Everyone is born to be who they are, which needs to be shared with the world because it will bring joy to others. After reading what this value was about, I realized that it is highly personal to me because ever since I decided that I wanted to study Sports Media and work for the Kansas City Chiefs, I faced a lot of questions and some judgment both with the fact that I wanted to work in sports which do not have a ton of females but also because I wanted to work for a male sports team. These questions and judgments did not matter because sports brought me joy and made me who I was. It made me different from others. Also, being the youngest of four until I got to High Point, I had always heard, “Oh, you’re Alissa or Bri or Matt's sister.” Hearing that at first never bothered me, but once I came into my own and found myself when I got older, it started bothering me because while I was their little sister, I did not want to be compared to them. After all, I was not them; I was me.

2. Marketplace of Ideas

A marketplace of ideas is the most important thing because when people are honest, it helps create safety in the world. Also, seeing another person being honest will cause others to decide to be honest. In many settings and situations, honesty will win most of the time because no matter who it is, everyone wants to hear the truth. When humans fight for the truth, it strengthens the truth more than what is false. A court case is a perfect time when the truth is more vital and means more to everyone. This value is a value that I see in action today because there have been so many cases or situations where a public figure gets into some form of trouble and comes out with the truth. Not long ago, there was an NFL player who caused a massive accident where people got so hurt at first. He ran from the situation, but he came forward and turned himself in, and now he is facing the consequences. Similarly, a PGA golfer ignored police orders but did not realize he was being told to stop. He thought the officer was telling him to show his credentials. The PGA player said he did not purposefully ignore the officer and thought he was doing what he was told to do. In both situations, the players could have acted like what happened did not happen or just moved on and instead faced the press about it.

3. Social Media 

Social media has existed since 1994 but became popular in the early 2000s as a way to connect with the people you went to school with or who you worked with. Many universities now create accounts for students to introduce themselves and get each other's Snapchats. The value of promoting innovation applies to social media use because people can be creative on social media. Some people have part-time or full-time jobs creating videos for social media for viewers, where they develop skits or videos based on their niche. Social media is also a way for people to share if they went on a vacation, saw something cool, or wanted to be a photographer or singer. A lot of times, people will make accounts just for that.