You Can Say What You Want

 8 Values of Free Expression

The First Amendment is important to Americans because it grants them freedoms of expression. You can express yourself verbally, in speech or writing, or non verbally by sending a message through clothing for example. Freedom of expression is a subject that is debated all the time because of factors like hate crime and verbal harassment. Freedom of expression can be broken down into 8 theories, which are listed below with current examples.

1. Marketplace of Ideas 

This theory suggests that if truth and lies exist side-by-side the truth will eventually prevail. So, it is better to let there be a struggle between the two because it adds to the value of the truth. This can be seen with today's times with the high rise of social media influencers and their impact on the youth. These influencers live lavish lifestyles with multiple expensive cars, eating at fancy restaurants, purchasing designer items, taking trips out of the country, and obtaining brand deals. They create content ranging from just posting pictures to making review videos. To many teenagers who are in school trying to get into college, being an influencer seems like an easy and enjoyable life. In 2019, Morning Consult surveyed 2,000 Americans ages 13 to 38 regarding being an influencer. Revealing that 86% would post sponsored content for money, and if 54% were given the opportunity they would become an influencer. However, many influencers have been called out on for the cracks in their “perfect” lifestyles. Shay Mitchell, although more of an actress than an influencer, was questioned by fans during her possible trip to China in 2018. Some of her photos appeared to have been posted a few years prior by other people, but she did post some photos of herself in frame. She still has yet to confirm or deny if she actually took the trip and if she used others' photos. Mitchell is an avid traveler, so her following was used to travel pictures, but this shows how they had to look at the truth and possible lie that was being posted on their timeline and decipher what was true and what was not.

2. Participation in Self-Government

Can you make the best decision possible if you do not know all the information? Probably not. This theory [LINK profs source] suggests there needs to be free expression so that political candidates can express their visions, support their policies, and defend their actions. If they are not allowed to properly communicate with the public, who will vote on them, then the public cannot make the best decision. By allowing political candidates to freely express themselves allows the public to participate in self-government because they get to hear all sides and make the decision, they deem the best. President Bill Clinton had an affair with a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky while he was married to his wife Hillary Clinton. January 1998 President Clinton addressed the nation and said, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” Then, in August of the same year he admitted to a grand jury that he did have an inappropriate physical relationship with Lewinsky. More recently, while then candidate Donald Trump was running for the 2016 United States Presidential Election controversy sparked when a private conversation was released to the public. In a 2005 conversation with Billy Bush, who worked for Access Hollywood at the time, President Trump made some lewd comments regarding women, but the one that sticks with him is “grab them [women] by the pu**y.” He apologized and included in his apology, “Anyone who knows me knows these words don’t reflect who I am… I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize,” following up with “But there’s a big difference between the words and actions of other people.” Both scandals impacted these political figures but because they were allowed to tell their side it was up to the American people to decide. President Clinton was impeached, but not removed so he was able to finish his presidential term and Candidate Trump became President Trump in November 2016.

3. Stable Change

It is better to release your feelings as they come than to hold them all in until you eventually have an outburst. When allowing an upset society to speak their mind, to say the good, bad, and the ugly is beneficial for the government. It is easier to address grievances as they come rather than letting society get so frustrated that they start attacking the government and anarchy takes over because they feel as if their voices are being ignored. On February 14 2018, a student at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, fired upon his peer killing 17 and injuring 17. From that horrific incident arose two gun control activists, David Hogg and X González. They have used their talk about the changes that they would like regarding gun ownership to help make America safer.

4. Individual Self-Fulfillment

People having the ability to express ties themselves ties into free expression because they can verbally say who they are and wear things that they feel represents them. When people express themselves to fulfill who they are they discover that there are more individuals like them. A society that lets their people express themselves allows for more open dialogue because people will want to stand up for themselves and people like them.

5. Check on Governmental Power

It is not only up to the three branches of government to participate in the checks and balances system, but it is also up to us, the people including the media. With scandals ranging from Watergate to Clintongate the media has written the attention grabbing headlines to inform the American people about what the U.S. government has done behind their backs. Then, it is up to the people to decide what happens to that person which can range from them not being reelected to impeachment and possible removal. You do not have to be a world-renowned journalist for your opinion to matter since American citizens have a say over who governs them. It is important that they speak up to talk about things they do and don't approve of.

6. Promote Tolerance

Through freedom of expression, it is believed that it is better to let people say what they want, even if it is hate speech, and let tolerance follow. By allowing this to happen society will deal with the expressions of other members in society and that will determine if something will or will not be tolerated. Last year, a Georgetown University Law School professor was recorded on a Zoom call making remarks about her African-American students. She was talking to another professor about her “angst” that her lower students will be black and that it drives her “crazy” that there are some “just plain at the bottom.” As a result of her remarks, she and another adjunct professor were terminated from her job because of the outrage from current Georgetown law students, alumni, and the university’s Center Black Law Students Association.

7. Promote Innovation

Since the American people pride themselves on being able to say whatever they would like, that means that ideas, the good and bad ones, are welcomed. When ideas can flow people can work through them and find the best ones which allows for an innovative space to be created. This space allows for creators to be born and lets people to fulfill themselves. An example of this would be the creation of Tesla. Starting in 2008 Tesla was able to design “the world's first ever premium all-electric sedan from the ground up – Model S” which was released in 2012.

8. Protect Dissent

In America’s society it is perfectly fine if your opinion differs from the majority. It does matter how “crazy” the opinion may seem, the First Amendment is there to protect people’s opposing views whether it is the opinion is about the government or their neighborhood. Pew Research Center updated their 2017 in 2021 survey findings on the American’s public view about abortion being legal or illegal. They found that six-in-ten Americans say abortion should be legal, but there is still heavy pushback. I predict as time goes on more people will be pro-choice and pro-life supporters will continue to become a minority.

Which one is the most important? 

I believe all eight theories are important and help keep American society functioning. Personally, I like the protection of dissent because everyone is not going to agree because of this the minority opinion should still get a chance to be heard. Just because the minority opinion is the minority does not mean that they are in the wrong and vice versa with the majority opinion. That is why hearing all sides of an agreement is important to me because I can form my own opinion on a subject. Without dissents being protected it would be difficult to hear all sides.