Freedom is a hard thing to define. Definitions range from simple to extremely complex Freedom is something that has always been the largest factor in nationalism. In essence the idea of freedom changes from person to person. A normal white high school student like myself has a completely different concept of what freedom is and its importance when compared to a black man or a soldier. Freedom is a powerful concept, one worth fighting and dying for, and although the freedoms we are given in America are misused or underappreciated, they have always been essential to what it means to be an American.
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| Martin Luther King Jr. champion of the civil rights movement |
In America freedom has been a growing process. From the very beginning America was founded on the ideas of independence and freedom. Most that freedom at first wasn’t universal, but eventually spread to apply to all citizens. Women didn’t gain the right to vote until 1920 and although the slaves were freed after the Civil War, equality for African Americans wasn’t truly given until 1965. The American concept of freedom has come to apply to all citizens, as people of all walks of life can participate actively in the workings of their nation and the protection of its ideals.
The most important part of freedom to me is the power of self determinism. In America we are allowed to decide who we are and what we want to be. The only true thing that stands in our way of being who we want to be is our drive to work for it. Americans have always prided themselves on the concept of pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. The freedoms we have in America have led to great bounds in art, literature and technology, impossible in oppressive countries. Our freedom to decide who we are comes at a great cost, as thousands have died throughout America’s history to protect our rights. Wars throughout the ages have been fought simply to protect the idea of freedom.
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| Stephen Colbert, the crown prince of opinionated political comedy |
Among the freedoms we have, the right to free speech is imperative. The ability to form and publicize opinions on our government and the law allows the people to better conform the government to meet the general needs of society. Anyone can spread their opinion, and in today's age of the Internet, that opinion is reachable by millions instantly. Vehicles like this blog and the countless social networking sites have created an atmosphere where thoughts and opinions spread like wildfire. In other countries these freedoms are restricted if not given at all. While the freedoms of press and opinion are of immeasurable value, at times the right to say whatever you feel has come with consequences. A prime example comes with the recent protests by the Westboro Baptist Church at soldiers’ funerals. The group pickets funeral processions waving signs that say, “God Hates Fags” and “Thank God For 9/11” while these protests are abhorable it is important to respect the group’s right to their opinion. As disgusting and awful their opinion may be, they are protected by the laws of the nation.
Shirley Phelps-Roper from the Westboro Baptist Church on Hanity and Colmes
Freedom is a double edged sword. While we are free to say and do whatever we please in our nation, that power comes with responsibility. The power to decide who we want to be is a blessing paid for by the work and blood of countless men and women. Freedom is by no means free and as America’s youth it is our responsibility to protect the rights handed down to us.
