Blog post #3: Eight values of Freedom Expression

     The Eight Values of Free Expression show why the freedoms of the First Amendment are so important in our lives. These theories are the backbone of our country’s values. Each of the eight values helps create a place of growth, creativity, and progress. 

    All of the eight values are vital to our way of life but the one that stood out to me was the seventh, “Promoting Innovation”. In America, we love to share our ideas. When we are free to show off our ideas to others we can inspire and learn from each other. This creative atmosphere has led to numerous inventions and other modernization. 

    Jack Balkin is a professor of Constitutional Law and the First Amendment at Yale Law School. He has
written many books, one of which was Living Originalism. The title is based on two ways to interpret the US Constitution. Living Constitution is based on the idea that we should “...do what is best for society, regardless of what the actual document itself says”(American Cornerstone Institute). Originalism is defined as “a legal philosophy that the words in documents and especially the U.S. Constitution should be interpreted as they were understood at the time they were written” by Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The book explains how both theories can be used to get the best of both worlds. 

    In part of this book, Balkin talks about the idea that the First Amendment is important as it lets the people be a part of the conversation in their government. He believed that practicing the freedoms laid out in the First Amendment promotes democratic culture. By sharing our thoughts others can take those ideas and expand on them. This growth by sharing our thoughts can lead to better ways of living and thinking. 

    Today social media and the internet make connecting and sharing ideas with people worldwide effortless. Whether you want to market your large business or show off your art to your friends it is earlier than ever to share. With the protection of the First Amendment, people can feel free to share all of their thoughts through speech, writing, or on the internet. When people feel comfortable sharing opinions they can create anything. 

    Companies that make similar products tend to be competitors leading them to fight against each other. This is not the case with Mazda and Toyota. These giants of the car production industry teamed up in 2018 to create a joint manufacturing plant named Mazda Toyota Manufacturing. Toyota shares its information on
quick manufacturing while Maza helps with the engineering. By exciting their right to promote innovation both have benefited from each other. The plant can make up to 300,000 cars in just a year and has created 4,000 jobs in Alabama. 

    The Eight Values of Free Expression are crucial to our freedom as Americans. By following this idea we can have a flourishing democracy. Not only is the freedom to speak out but we have to exercise these freedoms to better society as a whole.