Blog Post #3

 All eight values of free expression are incredibly important. Free speech would not be truly free without all of them individually. However, the one that resonates with me the most is individual self-fulfillment. The freedom to express oneself is so incredibly important and so often taken for granted. If the government chooses our identities we are no better than robots. The freedom to express oneself in speech, thought, and text will never not be important. 

    Individual Sef-Fulfillment encompasses all aspects of creativity. Without we wouldn't have movies, television, or books because the creators of these would be unable to express themselves. Freedom of expression is the most important right for creatives because they cannot operate without it. When Covid reigned supreme we turned to the arts. Everyone started watching more TV, playing more video games, and reading more books. None of these would be available if the people who created them were not given freedom of expression. 

    A lot of people may argue that the freedom to "Protect Dissent" is their most important right. That is entirely fine and we are absolutely allowed to disagree. Criticizing the government is extremely important. Personally, this isn't a right I intend to exercise. I may disagree with the government but I'm not going to do anything about it. I think it's great when other people disagree with the government and voice their opinion but that's not really that important to me. I may think income tax is robbery, but I will do absolutely nothing to convince the government of my opinion. 

    Freedom of expression covers anything that can even remotely be considered art. This doesn't just mean nice art, it means provocative art, ugly art, and even modern art. It also covers performative art, written art, and spoken art. If I want to write poems about how the government is corrupt, I am completely allowed to because of freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is so broad it quickly crosses into ground already covered by the seven other freedoms. If my poems criticize the government they are covered both under the freedom to self-actualize as well as the freedom to protect dissent. 
   

    A main proponent of the Self-Fulfillment freedom was C. Edwin Baker. In his book, Human Liberty and Freedom of Speech, he outlines his Liberty theory as opposed to the marketplace of idea theory that was and is still pretty common. His rationale is the entirety of the idea behind Self-Fulfillment. He believed that free speech didn't protect a so-called marketplace of idea but rather a more individual liberty protection. 

    It is important to choose our own identities. No one should pick these for us, especially not the government. Individual Self-Fulfillment means that an individual is allowed to find their own identity. It also boils down to basic freedom of speech. The argument is that we should have free speech simply because we deserve it. This is an argument I vehemently agree with. Free speech shouldn't have to be fought for because it's something no one should be able to take away. It's another human necessity like breathing or eating. Free speech is free because without we are not autonomous. If I can only say what someone tells me to say then I am not even really saying them. Free speech separates us from puppets  being forced by someone else to say words that aren't theirs.