Eight Values of Free Expression – Blog Post 3

 

Eight Values of Free Expression – Blog Post 3

Oppression was the driving factor of people sailing to the “New World” from overseas.  They had no idea what life would be like, but in their hearts’, they knew it had to be better than the lives they were faced with everyday in their native countries. 

One cannot even imagine how many people came to seek a better life; not because there were job opportunities or better ways of living, or because they had family here to help them get on their feet.  People from Europe came here not knowing what to expect, however, they knew it had to be better than where they came from.  Oppression.

The passengers on the Mayflower were in search of religious freedom and the freedom to pursue a new life, and most importantly, freedom of speech.  As time went on, that was the foundation that our country was built upon.  Our founding fathers created a magnificent instrument with the Constitution to establish freedom as our 1^st Amendment.  It is a pillar of what our country is about.

Each of the eight values of free expression resonate with me in one form or another as they are all equally important.  One that I find that resonates the most would be “Individual Self-Fulfillment”.  When I am able to express myself without inhibition, it reflects the person I am.  It shows my identity.  I am passionate about politics, and I will speak freely among my peers who have a common ground with me. It is nice to have an open conversation and have similar views and opinions.  When a person has a different point of view however, it is nice to have a debate and hear other people’s opinions.

Another form of free expression that I am quite fond of is Promote Innovation.  Social media has had a tremendous impact on the world.  The ability of being able to communicate with so many different people on so many different topics did not exist twenty-five years ago to the extent as it does today.  One of the first social networking platforms was called SixDegrees.com.  The site was created by Andrew Weinreich in 1997 and only lasted till 2000.  Way before Facebook, and very much ahead of its time.  The concept was based on the term “six degrees of separation” which is based on the idea that everyone is socially connected to one another by six or fewer people.

 

 

As decades 2000 and 2010 evolved, so many platforms came into fruition that promoted a way to communicate and post your opinions and thoughts, or find friends and family that everyone was able to reconnect with and stay connected to.  Older generations embraced it because they were able to close logistical distance gaps with friends or family that they haven’t been able to see or speak with as easily before the innovations.

 

Unfortunately, as much as we have the First Amendment Right for the ability to speak freely, some of the social platforms have been editing, or even deleting entries made by people expressing their opinions, feelings, and thoughts.  They have even gone as far as blocking people from posting on their sites.  This impedes on the person’s free expression of Individual Self-Fulfillment. 

When Elon Musk took over Twitter, I found it to be uplifting.  Yes, having the freedom of speech can be considered a privilege; in other countries such as Russia, China, North Korea, or other communist nations, you don’t have it.  However, here in the United States, it is a God given right, not to be taken lightly.  No one should be banned to say what they feel or make comments on or about our government or what their opinion is of the President, etc.  There has never been a time in the history of our nation that everyone (100%) liked who was in office.  This country’s people have been able to express their freedom to speak their minds since the birth of this nation.  That’s what this country was built upon.