My Thoughts About the Eight Values of Freedom of Expression

Freedom of expression is at the heart of our democracy here in the United States. It is an essential part of our country's identity, and it makes us unique from many other countries around the world. Freedom of expression encourages people to openly express themselves without having to worry about the government punishing them. While the government is still in charge, our freedoms as citizens help limit the power of the government and allow us to hold them accountable, which is one of the Eight Values of Freedom of Expression. 

The value that resonates with me the most is promoting tolerance. Something that has plagued our country recently is "cancel culture", which is designed to hold people accountable for their actions and things they say, but many times, cancel culture goes overboard to the point where it practices censorship and defamation of character because some people get offended by other people's actions. To elaborate a little more, "canceling" someone can mean getting them fired, getting them banned from certain social media platforms, or just straight-up damaging their reputation. By canceling people left and right, there is a total disregard for promoting tolerance in our society. It is impossible for a society to operate where everyone is going to like everything that people do and say. That is why we have to learn to form opinions as to what we do and do not like, as well as what we do and do not respond and give attention to. I hope we can eventually get to the point where canceling is a thing of the past, and we can focus on these values as a way of life in the United States.

Another thing I would like to touch on is the constant effort by the government to shut down the truth, which goes against the value, marketplace of ideas, where within free speech, truth will always win out over lies. Julian Assange is a prime example of using his rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights to share the truth, but the U.S. government, along with many others, are wrongfully going after him and even trying to get him killed. He has been held in custody in a maximum security prison without officially being charged for over two years, which violates the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. All of this effort to destroy a person's life just for legally sharing the truth shows how messed up government agendas can be.

As Americans, we are thankful for the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution. We show our appreciation by using these freedoms for the good of our society. While many, including the government, take advantage of these freedoms by using them for harm, the good things outweigh the bad, and they make the United States a desirable place to live. As my generation gets older and continues learning about the current mess our government is in, we might be able to make a change that benefits our future and ensures no Constitution violations.