Eight Values of Free Expression

 After looking over the speech theories, it has become clear that Individual Self-Fulfillment resonates with me more than others. Free speech and freedom of the press are core fundamentals that drive our constitution. Other countries do not always have equivalent rights of speech. Jail time or even death if an individual speaks out against the government or other political party. 

To understand self-fulfillment, we first need to understand the origins of free speech, which dates back to the ancient Greeks. The Greeks paved the way for U.S. citizens to have the right to express opinions without government restraint. Free speech originated from the ancient Greek word “parrhesia,” meaning “free speech.” This term was first seen in Greek literature around the fifth century B.C. It became a fundamental part of the democracy of Athens. Ideals regarding free speech shapes democracy.  

These principles were adopted by the First Amendment, which protects all U.S. citizens’ rights to free speech. The first amendment was adopted on December 15, 1791, as part of the Bill of Rights. 

 As U.S. citizens, we often overlook the fact that speech is protected under the first amendment. Other countries do not have the right to express their views without severe repercussions. A great example of this is North Korea, where residents aren’t allowed to speak out against their leader Kim Jong-un. 

BBC.com stated that a market trader in North Korea under the code name Sun Hui created a network of covert communications. By doing this, Sun Hui put herself in grave danger. BBC.com stated, “If the regime knew of Sun Hui’s real identity, she would face severe punishment - imprisonment in one of the regime’s hard labor camps or even execution.” Punishment for freedom of speech In North Korea forces activities underground. Unfortunately freedom of speech is a right that is commonly overlooked and taken for granted in the United States.  

Even though free speech is protected under the First Amendment, not all social media platforms will allow it. This is because the First Amendment protects individuals from government censorship and this does not apply to private companies. Social media platforms are private companies and can censor any content on their platform. Social media platforms at times censor speech that would shed a negative light on their company. Some of the information that is censored on social media includes hate speech, obscenity, misinformation, and harassment. While most mainstream social media platforms will censor certain content, other platforms have arisen to fill the void. A great example of this is the Telegram app. 

Telegram is a free-speech encrypted messaging platform that was created as an alternative to Twitter. More and more Facebook and Twitter users have migrated to telegram because they have stated that they are “committed to protecting freedom of expression and user privacy above all else”. Telegram has seen a recent spike in popularity, and they currently have over 500 million monthly active users. The application can be used on multiple different platforms, and the encrypted messaging attracts users who want to speak freely. 

In conclusion, Self-Fulfillment stems from our rights to free speech and expression protected under the first amendment. The Bill of Rights protects Americans and allows us to share our views and ideals to create a better government and community. Without these rights, social media platforms would be controlled solely by the government, and self-expression would not exist. Ironically and tragically even the above opinions I expressed might put me and my family in harm's way if we weren't protected by the First Amendment.