Out of the Eight Value of Free Expression, the few that resonated with me the most include: Individual Self-Fulfillment, Promote Tolerance, and Promote Innovation. The reason these three had the most effect on my individualism is where they all share a commonality; they all have more to do with the way we choose to interact amongst society and less to do with how the effect of the function of government has to do with society.
Individual Self-Fulfillment
This theory was thought up by C. Edwin Baker who, according to the Free Speech Center, was a well-known law professor specializing in the First Amendment. Baker utilized his First Amendment rights by speaking out against racism. His theory is known as the liberty theory and explores how free speech is protecting personal freedom rather than just being there for debating purposes.
The theory explores the effect that the first amendment has on the freedom of expression and how it is used in a way to create identity, rather than just a way to speak out against the government. This feels most important to me because I feel I utilize my first amendment right on a day to day basis, but hardly find myself using it in a way to speak about anything happening within the government, or anything speak out against the government. Included in the first amendment is the freedom to and of religion. This one affects me personally as my religious beliefs holds a huge part on my identity, even though I choose to look at it through a way of community rather than through the aspect of god. You wouldn’t consider my religion to be the “default” religion in the U.S., but being able to practice it freely under the first amendment has shaped my identity with little to no connection to the function of the government.
Promote Tolerance
The theory of promoting tolerance plays a role in how free speech has lead to a more tolerant society. It speaks on how, as a society, we have grown more tolerant as we’ve been exposed to speech that may be considered hateful or personally offensive. In a society without the exposure to these negative types of speech, there would be no place for building tolerance and these functions of speech would have lasting impacts.
Due to my personally exposure to a more negative type of speech, I have grown more tolerant and accepting of it. I can hear out different peoples opinions and perspectives and while I don’t always agree, I am able to reflect on and consider someone else’s opinion. It has helped shape me into someone who isn’t “stuck in my own ways” as am able to understand why someone might not see the world the way I do. It just so happens that most of the people I surrounded myself with share a similar view on the world which helps bring peace and unity in my everyday life. Even when difference arise though, I am able to be tolerant of it due to my exposure to it, thanks to the first amendment right.
Promote Innovation
The idea behind this theory is that the first amendment has allowed Americans to feel comfortable enough to use their creative abilities to create innovations that I’ve made lasting impacts on society.
In class, we have talked extensively about the TikTok ban. This is been something that is extremely relevant in the media. We talk about how this band might be impeding on our first amendment right. But if we think about it, this app wouldn’t even be a thing without its innovation through creativity. Even through the platform itself, it allows individuals to share their innovations with the world and inspire others, which has been a huge reason there’s been so much controversy behind this ban.
