Eight Values of Free Expression

The Most Important Values:

As I see it, the most important values of free expression are Stable Change and Marketplace of Ideas. They both focus on using words to hash out issues. Stable Change, specifically, emphasizes allowing people to speak out against whatever they want, giving them a safe and nonviolent outlet for speech that would otherwise be suppressed and internalized quietly. 

Furthermore, Stable Change, or 'Safety Valve', is important for people to feel like they are heard and valued in society. Likewise, it allows for ideas to get out there and be picked up if necessary. This site contains a multitude of opinions on controversial topics. It is an outlet for people to post their thoughts and opinions so that they can vent in a productive and safe way.

As for Marketplace of Ideas, its focus is on allowing verbal fights between truth and falsehood to take place, eventually resulting in the truth winning out and thereby making it stronger. The ability to speak out and work through any idea or opinion in America is very important, and such a core part of the nation.

Additionally, the Marketplace of Ideas is under threat, especially on college campuses, which used to be places of free thought and protest against poor decisions. Its importance to the progress and balance of the U.S. is vital.

The Most Personal to Me:

For me, the most personal values are Individual Self-Fulfillment and Promote Innovation. First off, Individual Self-Fulfillment is the idea that free speech allows people to create their own identity. Free speech allows people to voice their opinions and ideas about anything, meaning they can subscribe to any belief they so choose. The individuality from that is very nice to have, especially in a culture that is very controversial and seeks to shut down those it perceives as wrong via cancel culture. 

Like many people, I believe cancel culture is a terrible precedent to have in our society. It is a cultural blockage of people's opinions when we as a society should talk through these problems and controversies instead of shutting people down.

Individual Self-Fulfillment is the value that resonates most with me of the eight values. It is why there is such a wide range of people, and learning about different people is what makes life interesting. if everyone was mandated to be the same, it would be a lot more boring. Not to mention the riots that would inevitably happen because of the idea of Stable Change playing into it as well.

Second, Promote Innovation is the idea that free speech makes society more interesting because people are allowed to come up with unique ideas and express themselves in diverse ways. It allows progress to be made, both culturally and scientifically. Without it, we would still think Earth was the center of the universe. 

Values in Action Now:

Although they are under strain due to the aforementioned 'cancel culture', I believe Stable Change and Promote Tolerance are very important in our current society. It seems as though cancel culture is taking more and more of a back seat as people become less sensitive to new and bold ideas. Likewise, people are better able to express themselves by way of the internet through various forms of media content such as YouTube and Instagram.