Eight Values Of Free Expression

The 6888 (Six Triple Eight) Central Post Balliton

  Freedom of Speech

  Our 1st and 14th Amendments are the backbone of Freedom of Speech for the people

 While freedom of speech is designed to foster respect across differing political views, protecting hate speech under the First Amendment creates a double-edged sword: it can inadvertently promote a tolerance for unjust behavior. The original eight values of free expression can make hate speech seem more normalized. It is fundamentally not right to hate one another, but hate speech being protected in our 1st Amendment makes people feel empowered to encourage it. Transforming hate speech into a weapon rather than reinforcing it.

 A society built on mutual respect, even when we don't share the same beliefs, moral compass, or perspectives. It goes a long way toward resolving conflicts before they start. When people approach an issue with a hidden agenda, forming a middle ground becomes nearly impossible. The 688 (Six Triple Eight), the only all-African American Army Corps during WWII, shocked the nation with their first assignment: distributing over seventeen million pieces of mail. These women were under extreme conditions, working in freezing weather and being discriminated against, especially in the media. In this case, their 14th Amendment (ratified in 1868) was being heavily violated because the 6888 was not receiving equal protection. Today, this disconnect is reinforced by the way media is organized for audiences, where outlets frequently make negative biases against specific political parties or topics clear.

What if we don't tolerate each other's ideas?

If we don't at least try to understand people's points of view on certain topics, there's no point in trying to find a solution. When someone takes a firm stance without being open-minded, it is much harder to find middle ground. Understanding each other also includes taking our different upbringings and experiences into account; this is called compassion, which America heavily lacks. People also tend to judge others based on their experience with others they have encountered, projecting their experiences onto others. This is simply not fair. I tend to feel misunderstood in places where I'm supposed to feel the most welcome because people have their own ideas, experiences, representation in media, and overall agenda in mind no matter what I do. 

Hate speech doesn't have to be loud or obnoxious. A few examples include microaggressions: subliminal messages that assume something about someone, especially without knowing them. Another form of hate speech people don't realize is stereotyping; this is often hidden with humor in conversations. Next is algorithmic and institutional bias. This isn't speech from an individual, but a workplace system that runs the same media patterns and has policies that produce discriminatory outcomes while appearing neutral to some.

Next is the checks and balances of governmental power. 

Citizens have more power over government decisions than we think because the government often does not make the people feel this way. Citizens should be more aware of the government's actions and decisions that they choose to make for us. The government often abuses its power through censorship, war, and more.  An example of the government abusing its power is called labor arbitrage. This is when the government capitalizes on wages based on geographical location, often paying workers less in poor areas. We as people have the power of voting to elect someone who will serve our country according to the Constitution. 

The Press

Holding the government accountable over many platforms. With research and firsthand encounters, the press is able to identify when the government is not doing its duty for the people. The press is the main voice of citizens, often expressing issues that people face that the government may not see or may be too ignorant to look into conflicts especially specific areas of our country that are suffering- this is often ignored.