Eight Values of Free Expression

There are eight values of free expression in which are in place in an effort for the most efficient US Government. The eight values consist of discovery of truth, participation in self government, stable change, individual self fulfillment, check on government power, promotion of tolerance, promotion of innovation, and protecting dissent. 

The first value discusses the discovery of truth. An idea that was presented by Milton, suggests when truth and falsehood are allowed to freely grapple, the truth will always win. This value is an important one because, as important as it is that citizens have a sense of freedom of speech, whatever speech we are publishing should be truthful. 

The next value is the participation in self government. This value is detrimental to the continuation of democracy. It is a wonderful idea that we are in a nation that can be governed by the people and our voices can be heard, however that is only possible if the citizens are willing to participate in our democracy and keep it running. Educating yourself on local as well as national politics is a key component in order to be able to do activities such as vote for who is holding office, or what laws are passed. Without participation in self government, there is no self government.

Another value is stable change. As history has proven, societies in which the citizens can freely express their thoughts on changes to be made, operate more effectively than those in which the people lash out because their demands aren't being met. Think about how much more likely people are to act in violence when they are not allowed to freely speak their minds. When creating an environment that allows for people to actively voice concerns and take care of them in the most beneficial way, it creates a stable change for a society as opposed to a drastic one.

The next value is individual self fulfillment. Freedom of speech has opened the door for many aspects when it comes to self fulfillment, it has become an aspect of ones identity. How people express themselves  using any form of media to communicate their thoughts, has become a widespread form of self expression. When partaking in any activity that makes you feel more connected to yourself and your true identity, leads to self fulfillment.

Next we have the value that checks on government power. Many systems are set in place in an effort to prevent any branch of the government abuse its power one being checks and balances. As each branch of the government is handed an immense amount of power, it is easy for that said power to not be abused.

Promotion of tolerance is a value that has historically, and in todays terms set the US apart from other nations. It is an idea that by allowing all forms of speech, even forms that are found to make people upset or be harmful, has contributed to a more tolerant society overall. A lesson to be learned from this value is that everything you see will not always be in your favor, however it is an important lesson to learn how to tolerate it. 

Promotion of innovation is a value that has been found to stimulate the nation in a positive way. When free speech is proven to be valued in a community, there is more creativity, conversation, ideas for improvement, and overall a more inspiring energy to surround yourself with.

The last value is protecting dissent. This is a value that states in order to receive protection for the ideas and things you like, you will also receive protection for the ideas and things you dislike. 

Brown v Board of Education-What I Learned

             For this week's Mock Trial, my classmates used this case as our topic. Both sides argued for their defendant as they provided the class with some back story on the case.

In the town of Topeka, Kansas in 1954, a man named Oliver Brown filed a class-action lawsuit against the Board of Education after his daughter named Linda Brown, was denied entrance to the all white elementary schools. Oliver Brown is challenging the court for not protecting his daughter under the "separate but equal clause". 

Brown's side made a number of arguments, one of them being that segregation in school systems should be deemed as unconstitutional. While the Board of Education had a rebuttal that students of color may feel they are disadvantaged when sitting beside a white student who has had access to the amenities of a school system that is intended for whites. Browns defendant pulled lines from the constitution, and challenged them, asking why Lydia Brown was not given equal rights if our country was built upon the principle that states all men were created equally. Brown's side also challenged the idea that the Board of Education was violating the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment which prevents government discrimination based on race and gender. 

The Board of Education made a variety of arguments one being that allowing black children into white public schools would impact our economy poorly as tax payer would not and should not have to pay for amenities that would provide black children with keys to succeed. Another argument the made by the Board's side was white children being incapable of success on the grounds that integration occurs. The Board of Education's side fought that white students will only be able to succeed if they are surrounded by students that look like them. The sight of an integrated school system would confuse white students, putting a plateau in their progress and preventing them from progressing further. The board's side felt there is a greater opportunity for success of both races if they continue with a segregated system. Another argument made on the board's side was that black children only need fundamentals to succeed while white students need all amenities possible to succeed. The idea of black students not being deserving of attending school with white students was a common idea for the side of the Board of Education.

While both sides did an exceptional job at fighting their side, the consensus was the side defending Brown had a stronger argument. It was a difficult decision because the class felt both sides held their ground very well however, Browns side had more references whether they were form the Constitution, Amendments, or previous laws passed that had been violated. The Board of Education did an exceptional job at fighting a difficult side however, it was more emotion based argument while Brown's side was more fact based. Both sides made strong arguments for their side and left the class very impressed with the preparation and dedication to the roles for this task.

Final Blog

 In what ways is America's constitutional democracy crucially dependent on the First Amendment? How did events during the Civil Rights Era reveal the First Amendment's central role in creating social and political change?

The First Amendment has fully shaped how this nation can communicate their feelings while actively using their freedoms to the fullest extent. What many people sets the United States apart from other nations is its sense of freedom. Freedom to speak on what you believe in, what religion you would like to practice, assembly, and petition. The First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

https://study.com/academy/lesson/effect-of-democratic-practices-on-free-speech.html

One favorable characteristic of our nation is the fact that citizens have the right to call out the government on actions that may appear to be unconstitutional. The ideas of democracy and free speech are closely intertwined. With free speech, it increases citizens interest in politics because they feel protected by our First Amendment Rights to speak freely. Voting for example: due to the fact that all citizens have the right to vote on who they feel would best serve as President of our nation, people are forced to do research on the climate of our nation and make a decision which exercises our First Amendment rights. 

While the First Amendment may seem very cut and dry, during my time in Talking About Freedom with Dean Smith, I have learned the complexity of how these laws protect us. During the Civil Rights Era, many events that took place, were only possible because of the First Amendment. A popular idea that arose during the Civil Rights Era was the idea of nonviolent resistance. Nonviolent resistance was the theory of achieving goals for a change by using practices such as civil disobedience, symbolic protests,  and more. 

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/montgomery-bus-boycott

One event that occurred during this era used the idea of nonviolent resistance would be the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks refused to give her seat up for a white man, was arrested and fined, and within days the entire town of Montgomery, Alabama was ready to boycott the bus system. The boycott went on for 381 days as many residents decided they would not stop until the demands of integration were met. While this case was settled to be a violation of the 14th Amendment, integration would not have happened if it weren't for actions that were protected by the First Amendment. This is an event that harnesses the right to petition the government by allowing bus riders to actively not partake in the activity they felt needed to be changed.

Another favorable characteristic of our nation, it promotes citizens getting involved and using their rights to make an everlasting change. Due to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a Montgomery federal court ruled any law that required racially segregated seating on buses was a clear and present violation of the 14th Amendment. By showing there can a positive outcome from actions taken that are protected by the First Amendment, it encourages others to exercise the rights that protect them as well.

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/nonviolence

While we discussed an event that advanced the cause of civil rights, a person who had a great role to play in this era was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Notorious for his influential speech "I Have a Dream," MLK Jr. spoke frequently of his practices using nonviolence. King stated he was "fascinated by the idea of refusing to cooperate with an evil system". King referred to nonviolence as a theory that can be applied to many situations and can serve us as a "guiding light". 

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington

MLK Jr. played an important role in the March on Washington which was another event that used the concept of nonviolence to positively impact the Civil Rights Era. The March on Washington was a massive protest march in which MLK Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream Speech," while the event was created in an effort to draw attention to the inequalities faced by African Americans. The March on Washington was met by approval of JFK Jr. who was serving his term of president at the time. JFK Jr. was in full support of the march as long as it did not end in violence. 

Many safety precautions were taken for the March. JFK Jr. had his brother and attorney general, Robert F. Kennedy, coordinate with many organizers to ensure all safety precautions were taken. In addition, the original plan for the march was to have the end point be the Capitol however, the final destination was changed to the Lincoln Memorial in an effort to prevent members of Congress feel as if they were under attack. At the end of the march, MLK Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech which would later turn into a landmark event in the Civil Rights Era. 

These events are events in which the actions of the people partaking in them were protected by the 1st Amendment. If there were no laws in place protecting our freedoms during the Civil Rights Era, the era would have been short lived. Although many important laws were not yet passed for this era, the 1st Amendment had enough protection for the U.S. citizen to protest and encourage change.