Post #6 ; Eight values of Free Expression

     Although all eight values of free expression are relevant and valid, there are one the stands out as the most important to me, number eight. Protect dissent is something that oftentimes people look over. Dissent, injustice, and the meaning America all rely on this to ensure that that the authorities' opinions aren't the only ones available for the public. Having the ability to protect minority views is something that is invaluable, as it gives the general population the right to share their opinion no matter how unpopular they may be. Everyone is different in this country, resulting in people having different beliefs on varying subjects. Thus, being able to disagree with the government is a very important part of our freedom of speech. As stated in the description, it is our "patriotic duty to criticize the government" as it keeps them on their toes when establishing new laws. However, this isn't the case all the time. It is extremely evident in today's world where we are constantly being monitored about what we say, especially on social media. A prime example is Twitter. The platform allows you to make a post known as a "tweet" to share your thoughts or opinions. Despite our freedom of speech, they have the ability to censor our tweets within a matter of minutes if it "goes against their polocies" aka is not something they agree with.

    This was becoming so obvious during a time where people were sharing their opinions the most, the 2020 presidential election. Although those who generally side with the left were able to share their thoughts without even thinking if it could "violate" the terms of the agreement, those who sided with the right were getting their tweets deleted or censored within a matter of days or even minutes. This action suppresses the individuals who are trying to share their view on the subject at hand while giving others the right to tweet freely. The main reason behind all of this is because the CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, is known to be a democrat and side strongly with the left. Because he is at the top of the chain, it is easier for him to censor any of the president's tweets that go against what he believes in. Additionally, he has people working around the clock to monitor any speech that may "cause a threat" to the general public. 

    Despite the importance of this value of free expression, it is still getting violated today in the world that we live in. Jack Dorsey and Twitter is just one example that explains the problems we are having but there are different scenarios that are taking place all around the country.