Blog Post #4: The Recurring Problems of Free Expression and lack of Complete Racial Acceptance in our Society

The discussion we had in class on the "8 Values of Free Expression" really helped me to see how many policies the US Government is not following. As I go around this world and think about how many people have to deal with being disrespected because of their identity and beliefs, I wonder what I could do to make things better and more respectful for everyone in our current world. I can relate my feelings about free expression to the value of promoting tolerance.

Based on the recent events we have heard in the news, as well as the movement Congress is making to potentially pass a bill that can criminalize hate speech, I was on the fence about my position on the matter. On one hand, I feel that racism is completely unacceptable, especially in today's society, as well as being a member of a prominent minority group in the United States. On the other hand, the points made in the values noted how hate speech, unfortunate as it is, is protected by the 1st Amendment right of free speech. As much as I hate to say it, we do not need a law to combat hate speech and racial intolerance, but rather non-violent action.

Previous events on our own campus, events that have facilitated thoughts and actions of disrespect towards many African-American students, have upset me in that there are some students on campus who I may not know that do not respect me for who I am. (Insert link of flyer in blog.) For example, one of the most recent events at the time of writing this was an event that the College Republicans of High Point planned on hosting. They planned on watching a documentary titled "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM". In my personal opinion, it is okay for someone or some group to be affiliated to a specific political party. However, based on the way it was presented, I felt offended by this event not just because of the content, but the fact that this same group made the same mistake of making another event not just offending myself, but members of student population who look like me. As I previously mentioned, this is not the first time something like this has happened, as "incidents" like these occurred back in my freshman year on campus. As it relates to the topic, I just want people to be more aware, and I feel that the establishment of a law that criminalizes hate speech would not only increase the output of mass silence on social media, a repetitive action that the government has started to use, but also would be hard to penalize someone for using hate speech unless secret tech is activated on the mini computers we carry around with us every day. As much as I hate being disrespected, especially for the color of my skin, I still know that it is important to communicate to my friends and family to make more positive change, as challenging as it can be sometimes.

After reading a few different articles on the uses of free speech, I noticed how many touched on the uses of free speech within our lives. One article I found from NBC News discusses how students felt with the uses of free speech within the school system. Based on the results of gathered statistics, many students felt like they were limited in what they were able to say, and that they felt their free speech was not as well protected as it used to. Knowing about what the government has been doing, I do not blame what students like me are saying. I read another article from TechCrunch where the article discusses issues that are hurting the ways we think about free speech, and how to promote a good, beneficial form of free speech as a whole. The sad fact is that this is not the only example of racial discrimination that has been promoted by hate groups on the internet, and it is just as prevalent a problem today as it was throughout the 1950s-1970s.

We live in a time where our voices can be silenced in an instant, and I want to put an end to that. So, what can I do? I really feel like I can do better to help facilitate the message to others, but I need to be willing to get out of my comfort zone in order to truly promote a more racial tolerance, and to be present in places where people may not want to see someone who looks like me. One good way to spread the word is through this blog, which could be a good way to inform others about the issues that often go unnoticed in the public eye. We also need to be more willing to talk with those groups promoting harmfulness and hatred, while being safe of course. To sum things up, we don't need laws to protect us from hateful messages. What we need is positive activism to take charge against a corrupt system that continues to victimize others voices and actions on a daily basis.

Suggested articles on Free Speech:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/students-value-free-speech-feel-theirs-threatened-n1288217

https://www.vox.com/2019/3/4/18197209/free-speech-philosophy-politics-brian-leiter

https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/16/scaling-civility/

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/leslie-jones-twitter-abuse/

https://techcrunch.com/2014/10/18/gamergate-tactics/

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/04/1090894221/whats-really-behind-americas-free-speech-problem