Eight Values of Free Expression

 E I G H T V A L U E S O F F R E E E X P R E S S I O N

P R O M O T I N G T O L E R A N C E

I think the out of the eight values of free expression, promoting tolerance speaks to me the most. I am a person that believes everyone and everything deserves the right to be treated fairly and with care. It might seem counterintuitive to some, but the protection and right to hate speech can promote tolerance. This is because as society changes and evolves we see are thinking patterns as wrong and begin to correct and change for the better. If people are afraid to speak what's on their minds, then there will be no opportunity to show what's wrong with their thinking. A safe place for people to express their ideas and thoughts while not being harassed allows for growth. Challenging a person's ideas in a respectful manner can show them a point of view that they have not previously seen or thought of.

The idea of freedom of speech relating to hate speech is often being shown in the news. Social media has allowed the world to voice and send their opinion to millions of people. Is this a good idea though? Some argue that this ability has increased the among of hate and discriminatory speech. I argue that this has not increased it, but rather shown what people deep down are willing to believe and think. Looking at the people that are having large hateful arguments on the internet is not my generation; instead, it is a generation where hate is common. Older generations are more likely to have beliefs rooted in the dislike of people. The current generation is seeing these issues are willing to make a change. For the betterment of our country and people. 

C O V I D - 1 9

 During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation was a hot topic. According to research done at MIT, falsehoods are 70% more likely to be retweeted, showing just how much false information can be shared. My mother has an undergrad in medical technology, because of this I have grown up having a good understanding and interpreter of what is happening in the medical field; something not many other people have. She was an excellent source for finding the truth; something that can be taken for granted nowadays.

E L O N M U S K A N D T W I T T E R

Every day I open the news I see more information about Elon Musk placing a bid for ownership of Twitter. Some people like Holman Jenkins think this is an amazing idea and is returning Twitter to its original idea, a place for people to spread their thoughts about any and everything. Many people on the extreme right, believe that Twitter unfairly censors them. Well according to an audit performed by Twitter's analytical team, Twitter found their algorithms promote Right-wing politicians 7 times more than Left-wing.