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Recommended: What is freedom
In our society, freedom has been a largely sought after phenomenon. Freedom of women, freedom of the Black race, freedom of homosexuals, and the list goes on. The concept of the fight for freedom has never been one unfamiliar to our world. This fight has begun many years ago and continues today. Though we may all fight for a different kind of freedom, or even fight in different ways, in reality, we are all fighting the same battle.
A person could argue that freedom creates its own problems and that people are at times abusive of these. However, we live in a country that has these freedoms so valued, it can be found in our national anthem. While there may be always abuses made upon it, we can only hope that the United States will always continue to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. Understanding the importance of freedom and why we have to continually fight for it, is to look at all the ways it has been fought for.
Webster Dictionary defines freedom as a “political right”. To me, freedom is much more than that. Freedom gives me and the people of America the right to do anything we want; it allows us to be ourselves no matter where you come from, or who you are. Unfortunately, America has not always been this way; people of different races were treated like trash on the sidewalk. Frederick Douglass had a first-hand experience to this treatment, and he knew what it was like before America allowed everyone to actually be “free”.
Freedom has been the central belief of America since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Since this day, America has worked hard to keep the idea that America is the “land of the free.” However, throughout the construction of this nation, freedom was defined differently by each person. Freedom to African Americans meant liberty from enslavement and land ownership. Freedom to Europeans meant freedom of religion and government.
The word freedom itself has different synonyms there’s independence, self-government, self-determination, self-rule, democracy, these words mean the same thing “the power/right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint, but too much freedom has its limits. You can’t break the law to have freedom, people might disagree to that statement and say “Harriet Tubman broke the law to be free”, but you have think in that time Harriet Tubman was not thinking about the law, in mind she didn’t think the she was breaking the law; yes she was scared that she might get caught all she thought was she was doing the right thing for herself and her family. We kids now use the word “freedom” in the wrong way. We use it in a way where
Freedom can mean protection from the government or freedom could mean doing whatever you please. What it does not mean is to be forced to choose between leaving their country and family or being sent to war, or choosing between two negative alternatives. In the piece What is Freedom, written by J.M. Jellison and J.H. Harvey, it is exemplified how a social study on Americans show the different reactions towards situations is addressed to one’s freedom. Individuals will feel freer when choosing between positive alternatives rather than negative alternatives. For example, if one was to receive a bill of $40 with a note stating there will be a fine of $4 if they do not pay within 30 days, they are more likely to feel “trapped, with no desirable alternative” (pg 48).
‘Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History/Edition 4, by Erik Foner is a book that addresses a theme in the history of America as it pertains to freedom. The author argues that, the idea of freedom is dynamic as it is constantly changing. Based on the US history, the struggle for freedom has been in existence since time immemorial. Eric Foner argues that, freedom has undergone transformation since the Cold War and the American Revolution. There are different definitions of freedom, and different individuals/groups hold those definitions based on their opinions.
I think America’s greatest gift to my generation is the freedom that allows each individual to reach their full potential. After much dedication, commitment, and perseverance, past generations have made being the best you can be possible. Freedom is the power to act, speak, or think the way you want to without restraint. Being free is important because it leads to creativity, originality, and an overall high quality in life. People who live in freedom tend to ignore it and take it for granted.
What does freedom mean to a person? Eric Fonner’s article Freedom: America’s Evolving and Enduring Idea contains a number of different definitions for what freedom means and how it has changed and evolved throughout history. The idea of freedom is fluid throughout the whole article, the author uses five documents to prove his point. Common Sense by Thomas Paine, “Colloquy with Colored Ministers” by Garrison Frazier, “Trans-national America” by Randolph S Bourne, Korematsu vs. United States, and the Port Huron Statement of 1692 these documents illustrate how the meaning of freedom has changed from 1776 to 1962.
WHAT FREEDOM MEANS TO ME Freedom is an all-encompassing attribute that all Americans are fortunate to live with. As you walk down the streets of Brooklyn, you can smell Freedom from the aroma of hot dog stands. Freedom is hearing church bells ringing incessantly on Sunday morning across America, from the most urban cities to the most rural towns. Freedom is standing up to tyrannical leaders and oppressors, when everyone else bows down.
Freedom is a exquisitely diverse topic. For instance, one person could suppose that the world is truly free now, as it’s much better than it was 1,000 years ago. However, there some like me who suppose that though it is better, there are still plenty of issues in how freedom works. Despite the more equal life women achieved, sexism is still
Ultimate Meaning of Freedom “Our greatest freedom is the freedom to choose our attitude.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning Victor Frankl’s profound concept of “freedom” deeply rooted from his personal experiences as a prisoner in the Nazi death camp for what seems like a lifetime. As a psychiatrist, he observed common psychological patterns that unfolded in the minds of his fellow inmates. Based on his experiences of camp life, he came to a conclusion that in any situation, man will always have the freedom to choose how to respond.
What is freedom? Is it an absolute right or is it something we can live without it? People born to be free. Throughout history freedom defined differently according to different cultures and different period of time. Freedom shows an alteration cultures to culture.
Freedom is a short, powerful word we take for granted every day. It’s hard to fully treasure our freedom when it’s never an absence in our life. We get to choose our jobs, where we live, what we eat. If we are unhappy with the firm of our occupation, we have the opportunity to change our lives.
In 1787, our founding father’s agreed to write a list of principals for keeping people free. Freedom must be limited. People can not just say they are free. You can not just kill or violate just for freedom. There should be respect for people’s wants and needs.