Speech Theories: 8 Values of Free Expression

    When the United States Constitution was written, it featured the First Amendment. The First Amendment had six clauses, all based off the idea of "Freedom of Speech". Freedom of Speech, is what the United States prides itself on. It gives people of the country the ability to speak their minds, to defend themselves, to peacefully meet and discuss, and most of all, to have a voice. With having a voice and Freedom of Speech comes the "8 values of Free Expression". The values of expression are essential to us as Americans because it gives us the ability to express ourselves. Expressing ourselves gives us the ability to be who we are, and that helps us with our ideas, opinions and beliefs. According to the First Amendment, you have the ability to express yourself as long as it does not take away someone else's rights. One of the most important ways to be able to openly express yourself as an individual is through the value of "Promoting Innovation" and how a community in which individuals have the ability to express themselves will function much better. 

       

The idea and theory of "Promoting Innovation" has already seen success in the United States today. Communities that promote themselves and have the freedom to express themselves have been seen to be much more successful than communities where the voices of the community are silenced. For example, we can look at the social media app Twitter. The super popular app allows its users to publicly post their opinions and thoughts, while not being limited to what they can say. Due to the fact that there are no regulations to what users can say, users are able to freely express themselves on a public platform. Because of this, the app has seen a ton of success in the social media field than other apps. 

    After looking at a popular example of why having a community that can freely express itself is popular,

we can look at examples in the real world. Another example is the government itself. State Governments, especially city governments, face the vast majorities of issues in the United States due to their large populations. Bloomberg Philanthropies states that city governments have the unique ability to use their Government Innovation Team to gain insight from city officials and citizens on what would be most beneficial and what is needed for the city. The ability for a government to involve its community in major decisions that will impact everyone allows for the community to find success. Government officials are allowing citizens to express how they feel about their community and what they want changed. 

    Lastly, one can really analyze how this theory of promoting innovation is connected to the clauses of the First Amendment. Giving individuals a voice, allowing people to express themselves has been seen to help communities thrive because it allows a community to grow closer together. Freedom of Speech has been beneficial in the founding of the United States, and allowing communities to be involved in situations such as allowing people to have a say in voting. However, some people are afraid to speak their minds or become involved because of potential backlash they could receive. This shows that not everyone believes they have the opportunity of free speech in the United States. But, the people who are given an opportunity to speak their minds and have a say completely believe and love the idea that they have the opportunity to express themselves.