The Beauty of America: 8 Values of Free Expression

    The 8 values of free expression are very important ideologies when it comes to freedom of speech in American society. Each speech theory depends on different situations. Currently, with the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, I believe the most important theory for this situation is the 1st value: marketplace of ideas. This is known as the Discovery of Truth, meaning to accept all ideas and the truth will eventually come out. When it comes to this situation, we are looking at narratives. In the news, we only see the side of the American narrative rather than the story of Russians or Ukrainians. To be specific, the American side of the story, according to CNN, depicts the situation as Ukrainians are the victims. There are many stories about Ukraine being attacked and killed. Russia is seen as the “bad guy.” However, according to BBC, Putin’s goal was “to protect people subjected to what he called eight years of bullying and genocide by Ukraine's government.” This shows that there is violence coming from both sides. This isn’t just about Ukraine wanting to be independent, but an ethnic war. In order to understand the reasons behind conflict, we have to see both sides of the story.

     All of them are equally crucial, however, the one that most resonates with me is the 6th value: promoting tolerance. Personally, I believe this is very key when it comes to accepting others' opinions and changing social norms. This creates a better society because the First Amendment protects hateful speech and this teaches society to learn valuable lessons. Social media is very prevalent when it comes to determining what is acceptable behavior. For example, hate speech on social media directed at ethnic groups shows discrimination and can present a threat to society. While people have the right to think and speak intolerant ideas, others also have the right to disagree. This is also described as the “Paradox of Tolerance” and the idea that “in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must be intolerant of intolerance.” Essentially saying we as a society should make assessments of whether or not to tolerate tolerance to favor complete freedom of speech or in favor of promoting harmful agendas.

A value that feels more personal to me is the 4th value: individual self-fulfillment. This free speech allows us to to express ourselves in order to create our own identity. With social media, I am able to post whatever I want and say what I believe in. As long as it’s not against community guidelines, I am allowed to post things that show my personal identity so I can stay in touch with my friends and they can see what I’m up to. Another example, Donald Trump’s posts were banned because it was seen to promote and incite violence. This is because Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms are private firms and allowed to censor information under the First amendment. However, the question is if it’s ethical for these private companies to delete accounts of public figures. As a result, it can cause a major political polarization and create conspiracy theories, problematic content, etc. A specific example would be that it led to the attack on the Capitol. Everyone has the right to say what they believe in, however, with too much or too little regulation, there will be consequences.