The Second Value of Free Expression

To me, participation in self-governance is the most important value of free expression.  Of the eight values, the second is the only one, at least in my opinion, that has worked best in practice.  Ideas such as individual self-fulfillment and and a promotion of innovation do not look as plausible, since there is no absolute way for everyone to fulfill their goals and there is seemingly little left to innovate.  As for popular theories, like the marketplace of ideas and promotion of tolerance, can be construed differently from its intended use and fall down a rabbit hole filled with people who do not understand what they truly represent.  Both in theory and practice, the idea of participating in self-governance is the best way of promoting an open society that truly understands what its talking about. 

By being a citizen, everyone effectively has the right to participate in governance.  Even non-citizens have power to take part in how the nation is shaped, though their role is far more limited than that of an actual citizen.  People who are born in the United States or successfully apply for citizenship are granted powers such as the right to vote and the ability to run for office.  Even with seemingly limited power, non-citizens can still do things such as become informed of politicians and candidates, as well as attend meetings for various causes and demonstrate in protests.  While these can still be effective, the power of a citizen is still more impactful, as not only are they the ones who are able to vote, but can also be selected to be a juror as well as serve in the military.  

The ability to participate in self-governance was an idea that the founders sought to include.  After being ruled as a colony by a king, they established a set of laws that enabled the public to select who they want to govern them.  Of course, the right to self-govern is also a choice, which many people opt not to do.  While they shouldn't necessarily be forced into the process, non-political people should still be encouraged to take part in elections and keeping up with politics.  Out of all our varying interests and hobbies, politics is the one thing that affects all of us whether we recognize it or not.  If we have the power to vote, campaign for or donate to candidates, and even sign petitions to support causes we believe in, then we should use these abilities to the best of our power.  With the right to self-governance being one of the oldest and most proven successes of free expression, it is something that everyone should look in to not just continuing, but preserving for the rest of time.  

Town Halls are one of the most popular forms of self-governance and is one of the most easily accessible ways for citizens (and non-citizens) to participate

https://www.civiced.org/resources/curriculum/lesson-plans/456-how-can-citizens-participate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eermkiaFoWc

Marble racing: The "sport" that has the won the hearts of fans worldwide

With the coronavirus resulting in a ban on public gatherings, many sporting events have been postponed or canceled, and as a Sports Communication major, I have been left incredibly bored in recent days.The NBA and NHL regular seasons were winding down, the NCAA Tournament was set to begin, and MLB Opening Day was right around the corner.  With virtually nothing to watch, some sports fans like myself have resorted to marble racing, which, as it turns out, is actually very entertaining to watch, especially in a time like this.

A video of marble racing went viral on Twitter on Sunday, and thousands of people, including myself, immediately became attached to it.  While zero athleticism is involved on the human's part, it is still thrilling to watch the marbles race each other down a hill or across a set.  A YouTube account, Jelle's Marble Runs, posts videos of what are essentially seasons where each marble gets tallied for points across multiple races, culminating in the one with the most points being named champion.

In recent weeks, Jelle's Marble Runs has uploaded videos of Marbula One, a parody of Formula One Racing, where the marbles go around a track that's similarly designed and scored the same way as well.  I became a fan of the O'Rangers (the orange marble "team") after the team had an exceptional first-place finish in their most recent race.  The channel had half a million subscribers before I discovered its existence, and its cult-like following has earned many new members in recent days.

As the world currently lives in fear of the coronavirus, marble racing is quite literally the only thing that can keep sports fans occupied.  The YouTube channel even released a statement that they would be continuing to record and upload marble races, as it is essentially the only sports organization that has not experienced an interruption in its season.  If people would rather get involved with marble racing, they can certainly do so on their own rather than just watch videos of it.  Of, course, sports fans could also just watch highlights of old games, but since we have long known the outcomes of various sporting seasons, all the marble racing videos give us the new thrill of not knowing the outcome of how the event is going to go.

Jelle's Marble Runs has welcomed thousands of new subscribers, as well as a ton of social media attention.  They have experienced the most success in all the years of doing marble racing, which has genuinely served as a positive mean of entertainment for sports fans worldwide.  Of course, there is no guarantee that the people who are suddenly interested in marble racing will stay once the coronavirus is gone and our regular sporting events return, but I have developed an interest that will at least keep me coming to the channel regularly.  Hundreds of thousands of people were subscribed for years before this moment, and will continue to watch videos going forward, as this is more than just a fad or small hobby.  Many people find joy and satisfaction in marble racing, and I hope that if any positives comes from a time like this, it's that the "sport" continues to grow from here.

A video of marbles racing down a hill.  The "sport" has witnessed a sharp increase in fans, and will likely maintain this new viewership base for at least a few weeks.    

 https://twitter.com/davdchristmas/status/1239196410857340933?s=20
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJdpnjuSWVOLgGT9fIzL0g/videos

How the media is dealing with the coronavirus

In regards to current events, the biggest subject of the past month (and likely the next few weeks) is the coronavirus, the disease that is spreading across the United States and the world.  There have been countless media reports on the issue, and there is no end in sight.  With a lot of panic and fear about the coronavirus, is the media doing its job correctly, or are they overblowing this story?

There is a lot of concern for media at both the local and national level on evaluating cases of the coronavirus, as they have reported many confirmed cases, but have also overblown cases that have only been suspected rather than confirmed.  The World Health Organization even says that the overabundance of information has led to an "infodemic" that confuses and scares audiences rather than inform them. 

In fairness to the media, it is okay to speculate on cases that may not be confirmed just yet.  However, that is something that should be stated in the headline or in a social media post promoting an article, as it would otherwise serve as clickbait and lead to more panic than reasonability.  With a lot of misinformation in the current age, there should be more explicit reporting on what has been confirmed and what is not yet confirmed. 

As China has largely suppressed information of the coronavirus, many citizens of the country have suffered for it.  This is a chance for the rest of the world to do better, so the outlets where most people go to for information should not be misleading or deceitful in their reporting.  At the same time, I agree with the article that the media should not amplify the messages of politicians if they are lying, as those falsehoods could lead to patients dying or refusing help and result in worsening the crisis.  This will likely remain the biggest story going forward, and probably be the year's biggest subject, so it's best to remain careful in what outlets are reporting. 

https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2020/coronavirus-exposes-gray-areas-for-media/