Value of Free Expression - Promote Innovation

Blog Post #3 

Eight Values of Freedom

Something that really caught my eye when learning about the eight values of freedom was to Promote Innovation. With this value it is giving us insight of how a community in which free speech is valued and protected is likely to be a more energized, creative and interesting society as the citizens a part of this community fulfill themselves in ways that are diverse and interesting. This is something I value because when I think about conversations with a large group, I count on it being filled with diversity that may be solely based on people's beliefs, opinions, and views on numerous topics. It always makes things more exciting and gives you different perspectives you may not necessarily find yourself looking through normally but when you surround yourself with people who differ from you it can add something new to the conversation and maybe cause you to change an opinion about a thing or two. 

One of the eight values of free expression include, Promote Innovation. This is something that stuck with me as I am someone who believes in having the First Amendment right and allowing everyone to have their own rights to say what they want no matter what others opinions are on what you are saying. This is something I value because it allows everyone to gather their own opinions and express their beliefs and opinions as they please, allowing people to hear from different perspectives and do what they please with what they are hearing. Giving people the right to say what they want helps stay clear of very vague conversations and almost creates a barrier of what information people can gather especially when it refrains from staying within what a group or community of people agree with. Allowing people to share any of their thoughts especially ones that may be controversial such as politics, being more open about allowing everyone that same First Amendment right gives a conversation more things to be discussed but also giving people the respect that their opinions are just opinions and there is no right or wrong. 

Promoting Innovation is more likely to create more interesting and energized conversations with citizens because no one is being blocked from sharing their beliefs or opinions. This is important because there are many times that because someone has a difference of opinion they are not respected and can be overlooked for not agreeing with the rest of a group or community. When you are discussing matters of opinions everyone has a right from the First Amendment that you have the right to freedom of speech and yet it is still not fulfilled especially when it comes to social media. As we have seen in the past, social media does have the right to take away your right to the First Amendment but all it does is create a filter on the information they are letting be put out to the users of the app. When we see this occur, less creative and diverse conversations are being held and instead replaced with like minded people being put on each other's feed and the same ideas being floated around instead of expanding with new perspectives that may go against what these people have made opinions on. Instead of creating more diverse conversations, the same ones just repeat over and over and become overall boring to society. If everyone had the same opinions there wouldn't be anything exciting or new to really discuss.