Post #3: Speech Theories - Promote Tolerance

 

Out of the Eight Values of Free Expression I chose Promote Tolerance. I felt like this expression is one I see all the time especially on social media. As a college student I am always scrolling on TikTok and Instagram. I see people sharing their beliefs and opinions about politics, social issues, religion, and pretty much everything else. Most times thanks to my algorithm I agree with what I am hearing but other times I can't even understand how someone could think that way.

This is what made this topic so interesting to me. The idea of promoting tolerance is something we don't even think about but it is a value of expression protected by the first amendment. 

The First Amendment is a mechanism for participation in self-government. 

It gives people the ability to "talk back" to the government and share their opinions. Specifically social media has this even more noticeable and apart of our everyday life by giving people an instant platform to speck their minds and share their thoughts.

Everyone has something to say.

Lee Bollinger's The Tolerant Society takes this idea a step further. Bollinger argues that protecting extremist and offensive speech can help society become more tolerant. This does not mean that we should agree with hateful ideas. It means that being exposed to ideas we don't agree with can teach us how to handle disagreements. Basically creating the habit of tolerance while still acknowledging and knowing that it is wrong/hurtful.

Again social media is the perfect example of this. It is so easy to block someone, report their account, or attack them in the comments when they say something you don't like. Luckily that is our right just like them sharing their opinion is their right. The good thing is we can disagree and still communicate. Most times with hateful speech the government doesn't even have to chime in the public handles it especially in a forum like social media. The tolerance level changes and what is acceptable is shaped by the public.

Like we said in class the public and its opinion shapes the law and then the government follows. Not the other way around. Promoting Tolerance is no different, we the public shape the views that are excepted and what is hateful.