Since the beginnings of American culture, we have always strived to be a better nation. Whether that be through amending the Constitution, or attempting to correct the social injustices of the past. However there is one thing that has remained constant throughout all these years: the level of protection we have over our freedom. In fact, we have what is called the "eight values of free expression." These are included, but are not limited to: checks on governmental power, promotion of innovation, the promotion of tolerance, etc. Although the one I will be discussing today is the one I feel is the most important in this day and age: protecting dissent.
Protecting dissent is the idea of protecting the minority views of a group of persons on any given topic. These topics can range from racial issues, socio economic issues, to even basic everyday “controversial” topics. This specific value of free expression really resonated with me, especially given the current state of our nation. I feel as though so much arguing is going on in our country, and we are so quick to shoot down opinions that aren’t deemed “correct” by society, that we have completely lost any respect and self control we once had for each other. It is almost as if we stop listening as soon as we hear a dissenting opinion we do not like. If the Supreme Court is allowed to have the justices explain their dissenting opinions, why is it that we as citizens cannot allow each other to do the same?
In fact, sometimes the dissenting opinions are the ones which raise the most questions and force us to engage in critical thinking. For example, the 2007 Supreme Court case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. saw a viscous, eye opening dissent from none other than former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. This case had to do with gender discrimination against a woman employed at Goodyear Co., in which she initially won the case, but the Supreme Court held the overturning ruling by the federal court, citing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In her dissent, RBG attacked her fellow justices, claiming “The court does not comprehend or is indifferent to the insidious way in which women can be victims of pay discrimination,” targeting the idea that these men she shared the honor of being a part of the Supreme Court should have done a better job to protect rights for all.
Another way to further elaborate on how important it is to still be “protecting dissent” can be seen through what we call “cancel culture.” The true definition of cancel culture is something that is often debated, with some people claiming it is “people canceling anyone they disagree with,” to “a misrepresentation of people’s actions,” to even “actions taken to hold others accountable.” With this term being so loosely defined, we can see the spread of these definitions be categorized by political opinions in this graph provided by PEW Research Center. Given the context of the times, this could widely be explained by the more “liberal scope” society as a whole seems to have today, especially on many social media platforms. With cancel culture, if one person gains enough traction on their tweet, Instagram post, Facebook post, etc. regarding a “controversial opinion” someone has, that celebrity or even “normal” person can be “cancelled” in minutes. For some, this could mean losing brand deals or their large following.To others, it could mean losing friends or family members.Either way, the effects of cancel culture linger, and just like your shadow, never seem to go away. And, unfortunately this is mostly applicable to whatever political views are not of the majority at the time. So, with society today, differing views on gun laws, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the vaccination/mask mandates, can be grounds for cancellation if you dissent the idea of stricter gun laws and mandatory vaccinations.
For many reasons that may not be visually evident, protecting dissent is a vital part of the first amendment and the protection of our individual rights; and it is what has, and will keep this country lively and growing as time continues.
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