Eight Values of Free Expression

The First Amendment led to The Eight Values of Free Expression which enables citizens to be able to freely express themselves with some restraints. These values include:

1) Marketplace of Ideas which involves discovering the truth.
2) Participation in Self-government which allows free speech for candidates in elections allowing citizens to make informed decisions on candidates.
3) Stable Change which prevents unnecessary violence allowing citizens to vent their problems ultimately resulting in more stability. 
4) Individual Self-fulfilment which allows for free expression ultimately allowing individuals to create their own identities. 
5) Check on Governmental Power allows for checks and balances to prevent the abuse of governmental power. 
6) Promote Tolerance allows individuals to become more tolerant.
7) Promote Innovation where free speech allows citizens to be more creative allowing for a more diverse and interesting society. 
8) Promote Dissent which allows you to disagree with the government and other citizens.

Looking at these freedoms now, it is hard to imagine a time when these freedoms didn't exist. It feels very normal to us now that we have access to these freedoms to freely express ourselves however there was a time when we didn't have these individual liberties. It makes you appreciate all that has occurred in the past to get to a point where we can exercise free expression. While all eight of these values of Free Expression are very important, there are two Values of Free Expression that stuck out to me more than others: stable change and individual self-fulfillment.

Stable Change

Stable change allows citizens to be able to form their own opinions and speak their minds without facing punishment. One may think this could cause unnecessary problems however it actually results in a more stable society with overall less violence. Many individuals act out to get their points across when they don't have the ability to share them openly. Without the freedom to vent their beliefs and issues with the government peacefully, it would result in more destruction and detrimental actions. 

A perfect example of stable change is peaceful protests. They allow citizens to speak their minds while being protected under the First Amendment. The image to the right shows a seventeen-year-old girl speaking to student environmental activists in Washington D.C. during the Global Climate Strike in 2019.

As discussed in the second Supreme Court video, the Supreme Court Judges cannot bring their own problems to court, they have to wait for the people. This allows for citizens to have a say in the court which would not be allowed without stable change. This method of expression allows individuals to bring attention to their concerns and get them addressed by the court. This is a more successful process than the alternative of citizens acting on their problems which could result in harming others or destruction of property. The process of the Supreme Court allows citizens to have control of what gets addressed in court rather than the government having total control. We as citizens are fortunate to have this power and be able to influence change in our society. 

Individual self-fulfillment

I believe that individual self-fulfillment is the most important of all of the Values of Free Expression because it allows you to define who you are as a person. I believe discovering your most authentic self is one of the most important things every individual needs to experience because with no individual identity, who are you as a person? I learn new things about myself every day including new interests, goals, and values, all adding up to the person I am today and will be in the future. The more you learn about yourself the more likely you are to partake in things you enjoy most and ultimately enjoy your own company. The more I reflect on who I am as an individual the more I appreciate life and the experiences I encounter. 

This value of expression allows you to be able to do that. Without this value, it would be difficult to form your own identity and reach the self-actualization that Abraham Maslow speaks so highly of. He describes self-actualization as reaching full fulfillment and ultimately living up to our fullest potential which would not be secured without this freedom. 

Overall, it allows society to be full of diverse people and allows for differing perspectives and a more interesting lifestyle by learning things from others that you would not learn if people didn't have the ability to express themselves. Without free speech, it would be hard to express yourself and therefore learn the important things about who you are to form your own identity.

The U.S. Supreme Court Reflection

The two U.S. Supreme Court videos were very enlightening. The first video taught me some general information covering the nine justices; each of which serves an average of sixteen years or longer, the history of the Supreme Court, the amount of cases the court receives weekly, and yearly, and a look into the day-to-day work of the justices. 

I liked how the video began by diving into the history of the Supreme Court addressing the case of Marbury v. Madison, 1803, where under John Marshall the court struck down an act of Congress as unconstitutional. This was very monumental as the new court rapidly earned public respect as a co-equal branch of government under his years. The video then continues onto the case of Dred Scott claiming his freedom under an act of Congress twenty years later which weakened the Court's authority.

Through the conversation with Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices O'Connor, Thomas, and Breyer talking with Dick Howard, the Justices noted some interesting points. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor shared that the process for granting or denying certiorari requires every petition to get the same individual consideration. This shows that the process is fair and unbiased towards any particular group of people. I also appreciated how the associate Justice mentioned his system of everyone speaking once before anyone speaks twice. I feel like that is an excellent system because it can be hard to get your opinion out there in a conversation when the same few people keep talking. I think this system allows for equal conversations accounting for everyone's opinions and ideas. Justice Clarence Thomas mentioned that he likes to have an outlined answer before coming into the conference to know how he is going to decide the case but sometimes that answer changes throughout the conference. He acknowledges that his opinion relatively stays the same yet he is open to changing his opinion based on the discussion. Each of these points makes me feel confident in the individuals making these decisions as they are attempting to make fair and ethical decisions.

I was particularly surprised by the number of cases received compared to the number considered by the court. The Supreme Court receives over a hundred new cases every week and about 7,000 a year, most of these arriving as petitions for certiorari. Of the approximate 7,000, the court only accepts about a hundred of them for full consideration each year. Newly arrived petitions and written arguments in cases that have already been accepted are sent to the justices one time a week. This surprised me because I thought a hundred was very few compared to the thousands of cases received yearly. However, once watching the second video I slowly realized why. 

Part two dove into the inner workings of the cases and how they go through the Court. Within a few days after hearing arguments, the nine Justices sit together in a conference room to vote to decide a case. Once they decide, a Justice on the majority side of the decision is assigned to write an opinion explaining the legal reasons for the decision. This is important because the Court's reasoning in a written opinion binds all other courts as they decide future cases. Any Justice also has the option to write a separate opinion from the majority, either dissenting from the decision or concurring with the result but disagreeing with the reasoning which I did not know prior to this video. It takes about four weeks for the opinion drafts to be completed and then it is sent to all nine Justices. A Justice may redraft in an effort to persuade the other Justices to join the majority opinion. Revisions may go on for months as the author tries to accommodate differing views. 

I found it interesting how the length of the written opinion varies. When the decisions are unanimous it will typically be a few pages long but if the divided court writes separate opinions it can exceed eighty pages. This makes complete sense though it's crazy to think that if a separate opinion is written it can more than double in length.

After learning about the process it makes sense why they only choose to accept about a hundred for full consideration. Doing any more would be very difficult to manage with the amount of time it takes to just come to a decision on one case. This video made me realize just how long it takes to grant or deny certiorari and made me respect the work of the Supreme Court Justices even more than I had before. I found it interesting how a Justice explained how it takes at least three to five years to start feeling less overwhelmed and getting comfortable in the position. It makes sense that it would take a decent amount of time to get comfortable in such an important role but also surprising that out of the average sixteen years as a Justice, it takes about a fourth of the time to actually start feeling confident. 

Current Justices of The Supreme Court 

Top Five Sources of New and Information

With the continuous rise of technology, gathering information is easier than ever. Through the access of various media platforms obtaining knowledge and hearing multiple perspectives on various topics is not difficult to obtain. I particularly enjoy staying up to date on current events in our world as well as topics related to psychology, science, history, and so much more. I trust that all of the sources I utilize and the information I obtain are reliable as I check the credibility of each source noting any biases that may arise. With that said, my top five sources of news and information included The Journal, Fox News, TED Talks Daily, Instagram, and TikTok. Each of these sources allows me to stay up-to-date and informed within our world.

#1: The Journal

The Journal is a podcast that I listen to daily. As a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal, it is a podcast about business, technology, and finance covering various topics. Lately, it has been covering a lot of politics with the upcoming election however it also covers a broad range of topics which I enjoy as I like learning about various topics. Each episode is about fifteen to twenty minutes so it’s perfect to listen to as I get ready for the day. It sets up my mornings with a nice overview of current event topics and what I should be aware of currently in our world.

#2: The Fox News Rundown

Similar to "The Joumal" I listen to the Fox News run down most mornings. I have a hard time tuning into a regular news station at times however I am still interested in knowing what is going on around me and staying up to date in the world. The Fox News Run Down fits great into my daily routines as each episode is about fifteen to thirty minutes each so I am able to hear a quick gist of the news. Each episode is broken up into different sections starting with an introduction followed by the current top news stories covering politics, economics, and other current events. Some episodes also include commentary from varying speakers. Overall, it provides listeners with an overall concise overview of current news and information.

 

#3: TED Talks Daily

I have always enjoyed listening to TED Talks so when I came across TED Talks Daily I added it to my Spotify library immediately. I listen to this podcast when I am in the car driving places or doing tasks throughout the day. It educates me on various topics acting as a well-rounded information source. I know the information is trustworthy and very informative as each talk is from a different global leader and intellectual thinker. I also enjoy how this allows for multiple perspectives that I may not have considered without listening to TED Talks Daily.

#4: Instagram

I primarily use Instagram to stay up to date on my friends and family member's lives through posts however I also follow a lot of informational accounts. I can keep up with the news by following news channels including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Fox News. I follow educational pages including National Geographic and NASA. I often find out about the major headliners in our news from Instagram then research it further to learn more about it. These accounts pop up throughout my feed informing me on current events as well as suggested accounts to follow providing even more information.

#5: TikTok

While TikTok is known for being a social media page solely for entertainment purposes it also holds a great deal of news and information. Many pages on TikTok pertain to general news as well as focused areas of study. By watching short videos I am able to learn current events, social issues, history, science, lifestyle, culture, and so much more. I enjoy how the videos stay under a certain time length so that the information is easy to digest and I can switch from one topic to another. Some accounts I follow for news and information include @discovery, @doctorhoeflinger, @billnye, and many more.