EIGHT VALUES OF FREE EXPRESSION

 I have recently learned a ton about the first amendments emergence and how it has evolved through the country's history. Of course, the first amendment is stated as "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" at its basic level. But we can dive deeper into what the first amendment really insinuates. 

There is a list of eight values that come with the first amendment, we can call them the "Eight Values of Free Expression." These values more or less describe why the freedom to express is so important to American citizens. 

There are eight values listed, but there are three specifically that resonate with me that I would like to discuss. The first one is "Stable Change," also known as a "Safety Valve." This value suggests that when a government does not suppress the voices of those who want to speak their mind, they tend to be more stable. This has two major effects. Firstly, those who speak their mind, or vent, their opinions are less likely to take more drastic measures, such as resorting to violence or crime. Secondly, those who do decide to talk out their opinions that may be rather questionable, will be easily monitored by those around them. Overall, stable change prevents discontented people with radical opinions from acting upon said opinions.

The second value is "Promote Innovation," which for the most part defines itself. Innovation has driven America for most of its existence, and many of your favorite or popular items have come from American culture. Innovation is so important because it allows people to share their thoughts, experiences, findings, anything really. Through innovation, society is more energetic, willing to make and share creative ideas, and more open minded. Part of the reason why the first amendment is so important, is because it allows a value as important as innovation, as it doesn't suppress the voices of those with creativity. 

Finally, the third value that I resonate with is "Protect Dissent." Protect dissent in its simplest is your right to criticize the government. There are many examples of this, but one of the best places to look is within major court cases throughout history. In the 1900's Jim Crow laws were laws that the government made to allow segregation between races, most notably whites and blacks. One term you may have heard before that relates to these laws was "separate, but equal," meaning while races were separated, they were given equal opportunity. This was challenged in 1954, when the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education challenged that Jim Crow laws saying that separate was "inherently unequal," and that students of black and white should be schooled together if they were to be considered equal. Had the first amendment not allowed for criticism of the government, many court cases, including this one would have never gotten past the initial stages of process, and who knows what our society would look like now if they never did.

At the end of the day, I think that the Values of Free Expression are some of the foundation blocks of American culture. Without them, America wouldn't be anywhere near as advanced as it is today. And regardless of everything you may disagree with in the news, as Dr. Qubein says, be grateful that you are blessed to live in America, and I truly do feel grateful.