Blog Post #3 - 8 Values of Free Expression

The Eight Values of Free Expression elucidate the ins and outs of the First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution. While the First Amendment seems clear cut on the surface, it can be rather complex with some intricacies with it. There's more to the concept of freedom of speech than just the idea of being able to say whatever you want (within reason, and potentially with consequences). I find all eight of the values interesting, but there is one that I find most important and most personal to me. 

I find that the third value of free expression is the most important. The concept of "Stable Change/Safety Valve" is the one that I find most valuable to me. As Americans, we are fortunate to have a Constitution that provides us with a Constitutional right to be able to say what we want about the government, both verbally and through forms of legal/safe expression. This is a right and privilege that most Americans (including myself, more often than not) take for granted. There are several countries in the world where this is not the case for its citizens. In some countries, it is not protected to openly speak against or negatively against the government or a head of state. According to this article by euronews.com, in countries such as Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, citizens can be punished for publicly speaking out against the government. The map inserted below is from the article, and it shows which EU countries have non-protected laws against speaking negatively towards the government/heads of state.

In some of these countries, citizens can be punished in a variety of ways. In Switzerland, citizens who are found guilty of this criminal offense could potentially only have to pay a monetary fee. In Thailand, citizens arrested for this crime could face anywhere from three to 15 years in prison. According to Saudi Arabia's laws on the matter, speaking out against the government is considered an act of terrorism, which is also punishable by potential prison time. These are just three of several countries in the world where it is illegal to speak freely about the government. 

Our U.S. Constitution protects our right to speak against the government. In other words, the Constitution says under the First Amendment that the government legally and constitutionally must allow us to say bad things about it. I find this extremely important, and I believe we are beyond lucky to be protected by law to do so. It's important to know and understand that the government can't penalize you for speaking against it if you are an American citizen. It's hard for me to imagine living in a place where I'm not safe to talk about how I feel without the fear of being arrested for my opinion. It's easy to become accustomed to having the flexibility with verbal expression, and it is even easier to take that opportunity for granted. As someone who is very opinionated, I feel strongly about the right to be able to speak my feelings about the government and people in the government without penalty.

This value can be applied to what's going on in the world right now. As the war in Ukraine rages on, and the U.S. continues to stick its nose into Russia's ongoing business, I think that the right to talk about the government (no matter what your opinion may be) is more important than ever. The freedom to express your opinion on what the government is doing is important, and is also a constitutionally protected right that we as Americans should take advantage of, but not take for granted.