Blog Post #3

 I think the Eight values of free expression set the foundation for the First Amendment, which is arguably the most important amendment of our Constitution. The First Amendment is still regularly referred to today and provides U.S. citizens with protection from the government in many different ways. The three values that resonate most with me the most would be; marketplace of ideas, stable change, and check on government power.

The first value which I tend to agree with is the marketplace of ideas. I think there is a lot of truth in the theory that when truth and falsehood freely grapple, truth wins. Letting the truth of a situation come out naturally will allow people to form their own opinions, as opposed to jamming ideas down their throats. John Milton used this argument against requiring a license to publish. I think this is a great use of the argument, as people will be able to form their own opinions on publishers and will most likely only want to listen to the ones that publish the facts. Allowing people to naturally figure this out gives them a sense of autonomy as well. We can see this in action a lot today with the amount of fake news out there. It is much harder in modern times to decipher what is true and what isn’t, due to the vast amount of information and publishers out there.

The next value which resonates with me is the idea of stable change. I think Benedict Spenozas' idea of stable change is very valuable as people need to be able to vent to avoid uprisings that contain violence. He makes a good point when he mentions that when people can freely vent, it makes it easier for the government to predict when there might be violence and allows for the government to be proactive. I agree with him when he says it is in the government's best interest to allow venting.

The last value which I agree with, in my opinion, tends to be the most important. The ability of citizens to check on the government is a fundamental value in a democracy. The First Amendment supports people's ability to check on the government as it allows people to openly communicate and vent about the government's wrongdoings. It also allows people the chance to learn about abuses of power and the rights that tax-paying citizens have. I think the First Amendment gives people the ability to obtain information easily through the press, and this gives people the chance to identify when the government oversteps. The checks and balances system still plays a role in society today, and there are a lot of people out there who believe the government is regularly overstepping. I think that this value is most personal to me as I think the amount of power the federal government has in modern-day America is very dangerous. Our government is $34 trillion today and is only rising and yet we still continue to raise our spending budget. This playbook is not sustainable and will end up hurting the American people in the long run when a lot of these politicians will be dead by then.