Eight Values of Free Expression

Free expression was a right granted to us in the Constitution by our Founding Fathers. I believe it is important for every American to exercise their right of free expression. Free expression supports personal autonomy and identity by allowing individuals to live according to their beliefs and values. In a democracy, it enables open debate, ensures an informed public, holds leaders accountable, promotes transparency, and empowers social change. The 8 values of Free expression are: Marketplace of ideas, participation in self government, stable change, self-fulfillment, check on governmental power, promote tolerance, promote innovation, and protect dissent. Self-fulfillment and check on governmental power are the 2 values that resonate with me the most. I believe these values are the most important to Americans when exercising their right to free expression. 

 

Self-Fulfillment 

Free speech allows Americans to peacefully express their feelings and opinions about any topic. In doing so, people develop their own identity and autonomy. When citizens express their opinions, they are providing the opportunity to educate those around them. We learn on a daily basis from those around us and this would not be possible without having the right to free speech. Speech has also been seen as the beginning of thought. Rodney Smolla states, "The fulfillment that comes from speech is bonded to man’s capacity to think, imagine, and create." Freedom starts with the right to think, and when speak we are expressing the right to have our own thoughts. Therefore, speech is protected by the government because speech is the beginning of thought.  Through one's expression of their personal identity, it is expected that individual will see vast improvement in their ability to function cognitively as well as growth within their behavioral comprehension.

 

Check on Governmental Power 

The Founding Fathers established the constitution with the checks and balances system built into the law. Each branch of government has the power to check the other branches to ensure they are upholding the law of the Constitution. Free speech also serves as an avenue to critique the government. It is our responsibility to ensure the government is representing and implementing what the American people want. Because the government gets it's power form the American people, we should exercise our right to critique the government of their choices that effect us. Freedom of the press has played an immense role in providing the American people with information on government officials. The Watergate Scandal proved to Americans that the government could not be trusted. Without the ability of free speech, the information about President Nixon's abuse of power would have never spread to Americans. Unfortunately, not every government official has the interest of the American people at the forefront of their agenda. It is our responsibility to hold those in position of power accountable for their actions against the American people.

Overall, freedom of expression is an important right the American people have. Expressing our personal opinions and values allows us to mature and personally develop while educating those around us. Freedom of speech allows for information to be spread about the government, which is crucial to critiquing government decisions. We all should express our right that was granted by the Founding Fathers to ensure the government didn't obtain excessive power over Americans. I have enjoyed learning about the different values of free expression and learning the importance of free speech. Free speech is the foundation of our rights and I believe it is important to be educated on how we can best exercise that right. 

The Supreme Court

Before watching this video, I knew almost nothing about the Supreme Court. This assignment provided me the opportunity to be more learn more about our government to become an educated citizen. 

Things I Learned 

Something I found interesting to learn about was how the Justices obtain their role. I knew they were appointed by the President, but I did not know they had to be approved by the senate. I believe having the nominated person be approved before taking on the responsibility and role of a Justice is an excellent way of upholding the Checks and Balances system in our government. I was surprisingly shocked at how many cases are proposed to the Supreme Court each year. I had previously thought the only cases brought to the Court were cases surrounding the Federal government. I didn't realize until now that they are proposed with cases from lower courts and they decide which cases they choose to grant certiorari.  

Important Takeaways 

One important aspect of the Supreme Court I learned about was it is their job to uphold the constitution to everybody. I had always thought the Supreme Court's only purpose was to hold the other branches of government accountable under the law. I now know they hold everybody accountable under their law, but it is also their job to interpret the law. I severely underestimated the workload the Justice's had. They are approached with thousands of cases in a year, have to choose which ones to accept, go through the process of appealing a case, and collectively reach a verdict. It is important to note how challenging it can be to interpret a over 200 year old document and apply into today's cases. 

My View on the Supreme Court

After watching the video I now have a new respect for the Supreme Court Justice's. I never fully understood their role as a branch of government or how they were supposed to uphold the constitution. Now that I have learned more about the Supreme Court I fully understand their position of power and how much work it entails to hold everyone accountable under the constitution. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the process of becoming a Justice, the workload of the Justice's, and how they impact every American. 

Top 5 Sources

Source #5 

https://www.wral.com/ 

WRAL is the local news station in my hometown of Pikeville, NC, which provides information about current events in or near my area. I unfortunately don't live in the safest place so keeping up with the news is important to maintain my safety.  WRAL provides information about events occurring on the national level as well. It is important to be informed about my local community and country, and WRAL is a main source of important news in my life. 

                                                                          

Source #4  

I follow all of High Point University's Instagram pages to keep up to date with events on campus. I love to be as involved as I can with campus activities and I like to know what is going on around campus at all times. I play intramural sports and love to be active in the gym so the HPU REC Instagram page is the one I interact with the most. This page not only provides information about workout classes and intramural teams, but also provides entertainment with the iconic "Almost Friday" posts that occur every Thursday. High Point's Instagram pages also keeps me informed on important SGA events, fun community events, and weekly food trucks. 

  

Source #3   

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/ 

Not only do I love playing sports, but I also love watching my sports. Most of my nights are taken up  by watching my favorite NHL team play, The Carolina Hurricanes. I always stay informed about the latest roster moves, games, and the players. I follow the Canes on every social media platform but most of the information I receive about the team comes from the Canes App. The Canes App contains the same information and articles as their website does, which makes it easy to always have the latest information about the team. I am very passionate about the Canes so ensuring I am informed about the team is important to me. 

Source #2  

As silly as it sounds, Tiktok is one the major platforms that I obtain most of my information from. Tiktok primarily provides entertainment to it's users but it also provides the opportunity to learn about important news from different perspectives. Because Tiktok is not affiliated with any specific political party, you can find non biased information about politics from a variety of perspectives. I believe it is important for everyone to be educated about the government as a whole, not just a specific party. Hearing people's personal experiences or research they have done about specific topics has made me more open to opposing opinions. Tiktok is a great source to learn about anything from the perspective of the American people. 

Source #1  

My main source of information comes from my friends and family. On a daily basis I am informed about some type of news either regarding politics, current events, or updates on previous topics. Most of my political and world news comes from my parents because they try their best to ensure I am a smart, informed member of society. The news I receive from my friends is mostly about events on campus or local news about High Point. I believe it is important to educate those around you as much as you can, and also surround yourself with people who will educate you. The more connections with people you have, the more information you will obtain.