Values of Free Expression

Due to Free Expression, you can choose your own path.

Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all people have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The pursuit of happiness. A core value of American ideology is individual self-fulfillment. 

C. Edwin Baker argues in his book, Human Liberty and Freedom of Speech, that free speech is justified because it grants autonomy, formation of identity, and self-actualization. While the US has many flaws, the fact that we can pursue a life that fulfills our desires, within civilized reason, gives us a unique greatness.

Me as The Snow Queen in The Nutcracker.

I do dance; it is a core aspect of who I am, and I consider it to be something in which I can find self-actualization. Imagine if I were to go through all my life not being allowed to dance because the government forces me to live a certain life or work in a specific field. That would mean who Lyndsay is would never reach her full potential as a human!

Millions of people would never be who they're meant to be because of a lack of self-fulfillment! That is why we as individuals need to be allowed free expression. I mean, it would basically be stripping us of our individuality to be able to pursue what we enjoy and have passions for because they're all unique. It's a factor in what makes us different. 

West Virginia v. Barnette (1943) is one of the most important First Amendment rights cases because it established that the government cannot force anyone to state beliefs they do not uphold. 

Individuality in Careers.

By law, we cannot be forced to say something we do not believe in. Therefore, we do not have to do anything we would not normally do according to our beliefs. Sure, we obviously cannot commit crimes, but the government cannot force me to participate in anything that would in any way contradict what I believe in. 

I am personally Christian. If the government even tried to force me to say that I believe in science or anything else, I would have some serious resentment build up because that would be taking away my consent. As a reminder for us to be a democracy, the government should only get its power from the CONSENT of the governed. So freedom of expression prevents this from becoming an issue. 

Overall, I think this value resonated with me the most because being able to choose the life I create for myself makes me who I am supposed to be. Makes me unique. It makes it so that we are less like tools of the state and more like a group of unique individuals who are united. Humans are plenty capable of thinking for themselves, so our own human dignity should be respected by the government. 

Become who you're meant to be.

Truly, the pursuit of happiness can only be accomplished when people are free to explore and discover who they are and who they are meant to be. The First Amendment is what protects this; West Virginia v. Barnette protects the freedom of conscience, which is what self-fulfillment relies on. It makes me glad that we are able to pursue lives that are meaningful to us, not just a trivial one, because if we didn't have that, nobody would ever reach their full potential.