Key Post #1 Speech Theories #2

 Speech Theories #2 

 ''Participation in Self-Government — see Alexander Meiklejohn, Free Speech and Its Relation to Self-Government  It has been suggested that citizens will not make wise and informed choices in elections if candidates and proponents of certain policies are restricted in their ability to communicate positions. We want an informed electorate involved in debate.''

I would say out of the Eight Values Of Free Expression Alexander Meiklejohn's Participation In Self-Government resonates with me the most because it is the fundamentals of our government and how it operates. Another reason why I resonate with this is that most people don't do the proper research into the candidates running most people only look at if the person is a Democrat or a Republican, the reason why I say that is because humans are tribalistic or they like to be part of a pack or group. This is why both the Democrats and Republicans have a lot of blind followers who agree with them on everything and blame the other party for everything wrong with the country. Another reason why the political climate is so divided today. Why a lot of people, including myself, are neutral in politics and they aren't part of a political party we just vote for whoever's policies that agree with our beliefs no matter what party the candidate affiliates themselves with. 

Another thing is that people only care about stuff if it affects their day-to-day lives, an example of this is the current spike in gas prices recently and most people are blaming the current President or the current party in office. So when it comes time for the next election people remember things like expensive gas prices and vote for the other party because they blame the current one for the gas prices. Also, most people only follow news sources that agree with their beliefs and refuse to listen to any other news sources. They will claim that the other news sources are fake news or some sort of propaganda.  

If you look at the last presidential debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden and then then the debates between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris they weren't really debating it was just the two candidates from the different sides saying how one side is better and how their policies are better. Then anything is wrong with America or the government was the other party's fault. So there wasn't much talk about each candidate's policies they just pointed out where and how the other party had failed. 

This is what I personally believe is why we have become so divided when it comes to politics and why voters have become so ill-formed when it comes to politics these days which has led to a lot of people, including myself, distancing from political parties and being independent. Voting for whichever candidate we agree with the most no matter if there is a D or an R next to their name. That is why Alexander Meiklejohn's theory about speech resonates with me so much and why I chose it to write about for my first key blog post. 

Sources

http://medlawlit.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_9.html

https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1302/alexander-meiklejohn

https://jackmillercenter.org/cd-resources/alexander-meiklejohn-free-speech-relation-self-government/

https://abc11.com/nc-gas-prices-average-price-of-prediction/11629450/