When we talk about free expression, there are 8 values that we consider to be the core to how society functions. These eight values are: Marketplace of Ideas, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Checks on Governmental Power, Promoting Tolerance, Promoting Innovation, and Protecting Dissent.
The value that sticks out and resonates with me the most is the value of promoting tolerance. This theory has become a core value because it has been argued for decades that freedom of speech, especially through the practice of extending protection to hate speech, teaches us as a society to become more tolerant in all aspects of life. This theory thrives on the belief that the act of promoting expressive freedoms will also make the members of society more open to thoughts and ideas that they would normally be against.
With hate speech being protected by the First Amendment, it is common for individuals to use forms of speech in public areas, giving the members of society the opportunity to comment on and/or act against the hate speech being said. After members of society act positively or negatively towards that hate speech, it then creates a social norm and provides everyone with a lesson or an understanding of the hate speech, why it was considered hate speech, and allows society to act accordingly in the present as well as the future.
What immediately came to mind when I read the description of the promoting tolerance theory was the current cancel culture happening around the globe. At a time when social media presence, ignorance, and disrespect are all at an all-time high, there is a pot of conflict boiling.
When an individual or a company says or does something that goes against societal norms or beliefs, then social media rips them to shreds, highlights what was wrong with what they said or did, and then proceeds to “cancel” them. Canceling in the form of calling out an individual or a group publicly for offensive behavior to hold them accountable for their actions and force them to face consequences. This is mostly done on social media and is frequently mistaken as cyberbullying.
I believe that this may be the most important value or theory of the eight, especially in a constantly evolving society. Allowing everyone to be tolerant in a world of complacency is best. A tolerant society is a healthy society because it allows everyone to create a positive environment, reduces conflict, and promotes innovation and mutual respect by embracing diverse lifestyles and perspectives.
If it is not obvious, protecting dissent seems to be the value that is mostly in action today, especially heightened since 2020. This theory essentially states that you are protected by the First Amendment to disagree with the government and anyone else, for that matter, no matter how unpopular your opinions and disagreements may be. Social movements, peaceful protests, and other forms of activism have begun to become more popular and visible around the world.
Ensuring the protection of dissent is also popular. For example, the NAACP has a Legal Defense Fund. This fund is set in place to protect protestors from violence, especially from police officials. The protection of this fund has ranged from the 1961 Freedom Riders to the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) racial justice protestors, where over 125 separate incidents of police violence against protesters were reported across 40 states, in the span of 10 days.
No comments:
Post a Comment