Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Meaning of freedom
Discuss the right to freedom of expression
The importance of having freedom of expression
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Meaning of freedom
What it means to be an American is the freedom American citizens have. The different types of freedom American citizens have is the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition government. The definition of freedom to Americans is the independence, self-government & determination, and the democracy. The three examples that shows Americans have freedom is what freedom means in specific situations, the cause that can impact freedom in a positive way, and the meaning of the Statue of Liberty. One example that shows Americans have freedom is what freedom is in specific and certain situations. In What is Freedom? by Jerald M. Jellison and John H. Harvey, it states “Freedom means doing
what I want to do, not what the Government wants me to do, or Freedom means not having my mother tell me when to come home from a party.” This means that the quote leads to the freedom of self choice. Another example that shows Americans have freedom is the meaning of the Statue of Liberty. In Address on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty October 28, 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it states “. . . there is unity in language and speech, in law and economics, in education, and in general purpose…” This means the Statue of Liberty symbolizes the different types of freedom such as the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to assemble. The last example that shows Americans have freedom is the cause that can impact freedom in a positive way. In What Is An American from Letters from an American Farmer (1781) by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, it states “Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great change in the world. . . American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions.” This means that location, ethnicity, wealth, religion, language, and stability is what makes up freedom. Having freedom is what it means to be an American. Americans are a definition of freedom because the American citizens beliefs is what Americans think is best for themselves and everyone else. Every American has different types of freedom which makes every individual in America independent and what makes every Americans unique. The self choices made by Americans and the democracy is what Americans rely on.
Throughout history, Americans have sought to spread the spirit of equality, which is believed to be the realization of true freedom. Before establishing this freedom, every American had only one question stuck in their head: What is freedom? Our country received it in the year of 1776 from the British through a series of difficulties and wars. African Americans defined it as an escape from slavery, while immigrants defined it as their acceptance into a new society. More yet, women of the women’s suffrage defined their freedom as their recognition into society and for their rights to be equal to that of every other man. These different perceptions of cultures/groups in America tied together to form an American view of freedom. Freedom is something that every American should be willing to do anything in order to maintain. We may have weapons of mass destruction, but when it comes to living in a peaceful, American lifestyle, our freedom is our greatest weapon.
In Eric Foner’s book, The Story of American Freedom, he writes a historical monograph about how liberty came to be. In the book, his argument does not focus on one fixed definition of freedom like others are tempted to do. Unlike others, Foner describes liberty as an ever changing entity; its definition is fluid and does not change in a linear progress. While others portray liberty as a pre-determined concept and gradually getting better, Foner argues the very history of liberty is constantly reshaping the definition of liberty, itself. Essentially, the multiple and conflicting views on liberty has always been a “terrain of conflict” and has changed in time (Foner xv).
Americans are defined by the respect they have for their country and its government, in taking advantage of their freedoms and rights that they gain by showing respect through allegiance, pride, and loyalty.
Do you consider your life full of freedom?Perhaps you overlooked some freedoms and took them for granted. Freedom is defined as having the power or right to speak, think, or act without hindrance or restraint. There are many examples of freedom being demanded. Even America has had its share of wars for freedom from the Revolutionary war to the Civil war. Freedom is never given, but demanded.
In conclusion, freedom is having power to inflict a positive change on the world. The ability to be yourself and not change for anyone. The right to choose who rules and who doesn’t rule. Having a chance to get out there and show the world what your all about and who you really are. These are all definitions of freedom and what it truly means to be
What does freedom really mean? Many people today are aware that they have a right to freedom, but do not know what that really means. Religion, speech, press, assembly and petition are the five freedoms that the First Amendment specifically speaks about. Let’s take a look at the definition of each of the five freedoms, what the government says about our freedom, how it is acted out and portrayed in America, and a few case studies involving the different aspects of the First Amendment.
Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. In America there is numerous of choices that someone may make on a daily basis. If someone were allowed to make their own choices and were being told what to do; then they would not be free. When someone is allowed to speak when they want to, and say what they want; such as their opinion or view of something. Being allowed to have a right to speak is one of the most important characteristics of being an American. Thinking and stating your opinion in any predicament it a strong part in being a citizen because people in the United States are known for being able to think in their own ways. Freedom can stretch too many things such as being able to do as they please, they are not forced into doing anything that someone may want. The citizens of the United States are not made to do anything that one may not want to do; like
Freedom in the United States Essay submitted by Unknown No other democratic society in the world permits personal freedoms to the degree of the United States of America. Within the last sixty years, American courts, especially the Supreme Court, have developed a set of legal doctrines that thoroughly protect all forms of the freedom of expression. When it comes to evaluating the degree to which we take advantage of the opportunity to express our opinions, some members of society may be guilty of violating the bounds of the First Amendment by publicly offending others through obscenity or racism. Americans have developed a distinct disposition toward the freedom of expression throughout history. The First Amendment clearly voices a great American respect for the freedom of religion.
The practice of freedom includes religious freedom as well, there are many religions being practiced in America and everyone has the right to practice the religion they believe in. In the Declaration, when it says," that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent"(Jefferson) it means that people can choose who "their" creator is. Another part of the identity is the respect for human rights, even if the accused have rights and that torture is an unjust punishment. The idea of "innocent until proven guilty".
Freedom is having the right to own, act, think, and speak without any restrictions from the outside. Ever since the New World was discovered, people have been fighting for their independence till this day. People of other colors and race have been forced to do labor without their consent. Today, those same people have been blamed or accused of crimes that were not committed by them despite of being free. Freedom has different meanings and those meanings change overtime; however sometimes the significance of freedom does not change.
The American Ideological Consensus is that “…the American people have shared much of the same ideals, the same basic principles, and the same patterns of belief” (McClenaghan 104). When America filled itself with ideologically homogenous people, their beliefs started to define our nation and became American identities. If asked what they think of America, peoples of other nations would say that the roads are made of glass, opportunity is in the air, and civil rights are plentiful. These accounts maybe accentuated; however, the underlying message is that the American people have more freedoms then the peoples of other nations do. The most widely known American identity is freedom, and even though that American identity has been tried and tested throughout much of its history, it can still be said that America is a land of liberty.
Perhaps the most exclusive aspect of American freedom is stated directly in the Declaration of Independence. It states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (Jefferson). This well-known statement truly incorporates all facets of what it means to be free in America. The citizens of this country have the right to live. They have the right to be free of restriction and control, to do what they please. And they have the right to be happy in whatever way that might be. These rights are...
Freedom is often spoken of in what can be referred to as a loose sense of the word. One country has more freedom than another; a twenty-one year old has more freedom than a fifteen year old. What exactly does this word mean? For different people it may mean different things, but there has to be an equilibrium that can be reached in order to determine the meaning of freedom itself. In one form, freedom can mean that a person has "exemption from an obligation."* If only the root (free) is looked at, it can be interpreted that one is "not under the control or power of another."*
For instance, they have the complete freedom to travel in the whole country, freedom to do work at any workplace where applicable, and freedom to marry with the same gender in most of the states, freedom to gain knowledge at every stage of life, freedom to gain justice and equal rights, and freedom to participate in any government and non-government departments and political groups as well. This shows that in American culture freedom is considered as the real-life notion over which people represent America as a unified and stable nation.
When referring to freedom these words are often associated with freedom: Liberty, independence, sovereignty, autonomy, privilege, immunity, and indulgence. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and justice. Independence is granted by freedom in the sense that an outside party does not control you. To gratify ones desires by whichever ways they choose is freedom through indulgence. Privileges are g ranted through freedom. In some countries the dictator or ruler makes choices for their people on regards to what profession they shall have or to what religion they shall worship. In the United States we have special privileges that let the people of the country decide on their own religion and professions.