The emergence and evolution of the First Amendment was a process that developed in the span of about 200 years, which involved many twists and turns that ultimately shaped the government and our rights today.
The idea of the First Amendment really started to emerge with the building of the Constitution, where there were pressing differences between the states about how to deal with slavery. In the end, the Northern and Southern states came up with three compromises involving slaves, which would lead to them receiving more representation and rights in the future.
Later, in 1789 the Constitution was ratified; however, not all of the states at the time wanted it to be ratified because it did not have a Bill of Rights, which angered many people, including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. They believed that a Bill of Rights was crucial in addressing the rights of the people. Madison's principles are a cornerstone that established Free Expression later in history.
The Eight Values of Free Expression are theories that are developed in order to recognize people's rights to freely communicate ideas, beliefs, and feelings, which are listed below:
Marketplace of Ideas
The Marketplace of Ideas is a theory that the truth will emerge in the competition of ideas, and that falsehood will ultimately lose. This grappling back and forth between ideas will also end up making the truth even stronger. In general, people tend to desire the truth in ideas, rather than what is wrong or untrue, which causes an overall acceptance from the population of ideas that are true.
John Milton was the person who created this value in order to defend people's freedom of speech, specifically in requiring a license to publish or print books. This allowed people to have accountability in their works, and protected them from libel, which is a false statement of fact that is presented as true.
I personally believe that this theory has a strong connection to social media today. Many posts and videos that you see online are fake news, false statements about people, rude and unnecessary comments, etc. This is why Milton's value is so important in order for us to be protected from these types of things.
Participation in Self-Government
Participation in Self-Government is the idea that people won't make wise decisions in elections if candidates and certain policies are restricted in their ability to communicate. This encourages free press and the opportunity for fair elections, as well as being able to have all ideas represented.
Today, we see this idea played out in many elections, whether that be for general, primary, or special elections. There are certain people who's job is to fact-check the ideas and policies that are being communicated. This is very important, especially for the Presidential Election, as these ideas will determine who our next President will be.
Stable Change
The Stable Change value suggests that alienated people are allowed to speak their minds in order to prevent violence. By allowing these people to speak freely, it allows the government to better monitor dangerous groups. However, it is the government who ultimately allows alienated people to speak their minds.
I believe this resonates with our country today in the fact that we have so many immigrants coming into the United States seeking refuge from conflict in their own countries. These people feel alienated and isolated because they are in a new country, unaware of how it functions, so they feel like they have to express their ideas more.
Individual Self-Fulfillment
Individual Self-Fulfillment is the idea that free speech enables people to express themselves, thereby creating their own identity. Freedom of speech ultimately becomes an aspect of human dignity and autonomy. We see this prominently in society today, especially in the forms of protests and social media. People are free to publicly express their beliefs that reinforce their identities in these ways.
This value definitely feels the most personal to me because being able to share my thoughts and ideas makes me who I am, which is not someone who hides away and never shares what they are thinking. I believe this is very powerful in companies and businesses today as well.
Check on Governmental Power
The Check on Governmental Power is where the freedom of the press enables citizens to learn about the abuses of power, allowing people to take that abuse into consideration when voting during elections. We as a society are part of the checks-and-balances system that restrains government power and abuse of power.
I believe out of all the Values of Free Expression, this is the most important because if we did not have this kind of system, our government would be too powerful. This could lead to more of a dictatorship rather than a democracy, leaving less freedom to the people.
Promote Tolerance
Promote Tolerance is the value that promotes a tolerant society in which protection of things like hate speech can teach us to become more tolerant in other aspects of life. The First Amendment is what protects these kinds of free speech, mainly in order for society to learn lessons from them.
There is current news today about hate speech, and how many social media apps like Facebook, X, and YouTube have agreed to do more to tackle online hate speech in Europe. In this country, there have been many instances of illegal hate speech.
Promote Innovation
Promote Innovation is the idea that a community where free speech is valued and protected is more likely going to be a more creative and energized society. This will most likely happen because citizens actively fulfill themselves in many diverse and interesting ways.
I believe this value most resonates with me because on my basketball team, we always promote the sharing of ideas, which ultimately brings our team closer together.
Protect Dissent
The value of Protect Dissent is where the First Amendment protects minority views, no matter how unpopular they may be. We as citizens have a strongly protected right to disagree with the government. In fact, it is our patriotic duty to criticize the government.
Similar to the Check on Governmental Power, this value is highly important in our society to make sure that the government does not get too powerful, and that we as citizens have a right to disagree with something that the government does or enforces.
No comments:
Post a Comment