Despite there being no apparent American iconography (actually, most of them are Asian culture references) on the stickers I’m showing on my laptop (and towards the back, my hydroflask), I still believe there can be a connection made between them and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. In the text, two articles resonate with me: Article 11, “The free expression of thought and opinions is one of the most precious rights of man: thus every citizen may freely speak, write, and print” and Article 10, “No one must be disturbed because of his opinions, even in religious matters, provided their expression does not trouble the public order” (Declaration, pg. 239). These two excerpts connect to my having stickers on my laptop because each one, although whimsical and not necessarily referential to anything serious, symbolizes the value I place on what each sticker illustrates. Thus, my stickers are more than just aesthetic adhesives, but semblances of my beliefs and personal thoughts. This becomes relevant to the American thought of freedom because such documents, which provide a foundation for the American perception of liberty, hold that it is my right to express myself and my values (so long as it brings no harm to others). This is maintained even for interests which have an origin outside of the American world (as I’m pretty sure neither Aristotle nor the Final Fantasy JRPG franchise were created in the US).
Largely, the reason why I chose to discuss stickers for this assignment is because of their frivolous nature: by no measure is there a clear necessity for having such things. Despite their frivolity, stickers can represent two significant–and often, inextricably tied–notions which are fundamental to the American existence: freedom and expression. With this in mind, it has led me to wonder whether or not freedom and expression can indeed be separated, and, if one’s freedom was confiscated, they could still retain their right to expression. Would a similar outcome occur if expression was taken away for liberty?
I think your idea to connect stickers with freedom and expression as discussed in The Declaration of the Rights of Man is ingenuous because it is something we see all over campus and probably think nothing of. I agree, that these stickers are a form of expression and you can see that in the individual that they belong to.
As for the question you proposed, I do not believe that you can separate freedom and expression as they go hand in hand. Without freedom, we would not have the ability to say what we feel or do as we please and it is most often through these means that we express ourselves. If we were to be without expression, what freedoms would we truly have? We may have the ability to make follow our desires with this freedom, but we would not be able to make the most of our choices if we cannot truly express our passions for them.
Hello! I like your argument because it brings up a very crucial component of the US declaration. Stickers are such a small component of the larger movement of expression. It is something many take for granted, and that many people do not realize is a privilege. The concept of allowing others to express themselves and be united through their uniqueness is very prevalent in America. Although I do think that freedom and expression go hand in hand. I do not believe you can have one without the other, because in order to have express yourself you must have the freedom to do so and vice versa. Both rights must be protected as two different concepts that are inherently linked together.