Value of Expression

In my opinion, I believe the most important value of free expression is Individual Self-Fulfillment. From the text, this term means "Free speech enables individuals to express themselves and thereby create their own identity and, in the process perhaps, find kindred spirits. Freedom of speech thus becomes an aspect of human dignity, human agency and autonomy". In my own words, my short meaning of this value is that it lets people express their own opinions to find themselves. Individual realization of character and potential as a human being means the right to form your own beliefs and opinions, and the right to express them. I believe that this value resonates most to me, and the time period we are living in, because there is so much "built up" tension between the two sides of each political party. This applies to what's going on in todays society because us citizens of the United States have so many different view points on all the relevant current events, and this value allows us to express our thoughts and feelings to have a "say" in the community. For an even more specific example, our country has recently gone through a series of events that spiraled and arouse many different outcomes. These include, in the past five years, movements such as Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, the Tea Party, and the opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline, also known as NoDAPL, have used protests as a way to make their voices heard and feel accepted. The one I want to go in depth about,  is the Black Lives Matter Protest, after the devastating George Floyd incident.  I relate to this on a deeper level because I was old enough during this protest to understand what was going on, and give my own voice and opinion on the matter. These, what started out as, peaceful protests, we're a very civil way to allow those, who strongly believe in the Black Lives Matter movement, to express their feelings to the public and also feel supported about it by others who feel the same motive. On a deeper analysis, throughout life, i've always felt a "block" where I didn't feel comfortable being able to express my own voice in relation to controversial topics. This is another reason to why this value of expression touches me on a more personal level. Being able to have Self-Actualization, and voice my own thoughts without feeling judged or unheard allows me to appreciate this value.