Values of Free Expression #3

    The United States was founded under the constitution, which has gone through many changes throughout the years. Along with that comes eight values of free expression to make sure proper checks and balances are put in place. Most of them are looking over personal rights, government rights, and keeping the idea of what America really stands for. Each value holds its place in maintaining Americas freedom, and citizens are most important on keeping the wheels turning.

    

    While reading through the values, the one that stood out to me the most was participation in self-government. This really stuck with me because of the current political climate in the US. Participation in self-government relates to citizens making wise and informed choices ONLY if candidates are able to communicate their policies and positions. In recent years, a lot of the political candidates who run for elected positions try to hide their true intentions while putting on a front and say what the people want to hear. This is where the issues of trust becomes prominent which relates to checks-and-balances by not letting the government abuse its power. In todays world, the average American tends to be less connected to the government and the policies that are being talked about. This is for many different reasons, but the biggest one is the lack in trust. I feel like nowadays since people don't know what to believe when it comes to news stories, it becomes more challenging too debunk or confirm the actions of politicians. 

    For one of the most important aspects in the values of free expression, America relies on its people to do what is right for the good of not only themselves, but also for the country. With a lack of transparency from politician to citizen, there has never been a more drastic time to protect the 1st Amendment Rights. Although it protects freedom of speech, it also protects hate speech because society needs to learn from both perspectives, no matter how far out it sounds. This is how we learn social norms on what’s acceptable in society. 

    America is in a time where there is so much information and news coming at us at a rapid speed every day, it’s hard to understand what’s real and what’s fake. US citizens need to put their emphasis on participation in self-government because there really is a current lack of participation because of trust issues. With more research and knowledge to the average American, politicians wouldn’t be able to form policies that only benefit a select few. With more knowledge to people, more power goes into their hands in determining what’s good for the country instead of having these policymakers make the decisions. With that being said, we must do everything in our power to protect our freedoms by staying informed and relying on those values our country was founded on.