Blog Post #3

My favorite speech theory is the right to Marketplace of Ideas. This idea was proposed by John Milton, and it made it possible to print and publish without a license. Being able to publish without a license is crucial for being able to share one's thoughts and opinions. This is especially prevalent with the government. It is essential to be able to share your thoughts on how and what the government is doing because otherwise, the government would have too much power. If no one was sharing their critiques of the government, then they would not be able to improve. To expand, if a bill was passed that society did not like, they need to be able to share their opinion so they can make a change. When citizens are not allowed to speak up for what they believe in, then they can not hold their leaders accountable. For instance, in countries like North Korea, citizens do not have the right to freedom of the press; therefore, the government controls what is being produced. This is a negative thing because the citizens do not get to hear about all of the horrible things going on in their country. Without freedom of the press, our government could hide information and publish fake information. An example of when freedom of the press was necessary in our country was during the Watergate scandal. Had citizens not been able to write about this scandal, the public would have had no idea. 

Another speech theory that I think is valuable is Stable Change. This speech theory states that citizens have the right to vent. This is similar to Marketplace of Ideas in the sense that citizens can post arguments they have online, but Stable Change also incorporates being able to verbally vent. It is vital that people have the right to be able to share their opinions because it helps to keep the government in check. Today, thousands of people are venting about the current state of our government. While on the surface level, this might seem like a negative thing, it actually leads to growth. Being able to share your opinions means that you will also hear other people's opinions and can possibly gain a new viewpoint. In order to make informed decisions, you need to look at both sides. Allowing people to vent makes it possible to see things from a different viewpoint. For example, you might think that President Nido Quibein is a terrible college president, but it is possible that when conversing your opinion with someone, they open up your mind to a whole new perspective. 

Lastly, the right to Protect Dissent is extremely important as well. This is a citizen's right to criticize the government. This idea is necessary because if one person dislikes the government but does not voice their opinion then change can never be made. Additionally, it protects the government from killing you for disagreeing with them. In countries like the Soviet Union, you were killed for having an opposing view as the government. 

For a quick overview click here