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Civil liberties and civil rights ap government
Importance of freedom
Importance of freedom
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American History: Our Hope for the Future What is the America you want to know? Do you want our country to be a good one or a bad one? Good, right? We want a good country where we are equal. A country where we don't have to be scared to live in. In this essay, I will be talking about our freedoms, our rights, equality and most importantly I will be talking about our hope for the future. Freedom of speech means that you have the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint. Some examples are, you can speak your mind, voice political criticisms, speak out against government, and not have to worry about getting in trouble with the law. Sometimes we may take this freedom a little far, that is when you get in trouble with law.
You have to not only think about others when it comes to freedom of speech you also have to think about yourself. Freedom of religion means that you have the right to practice whatever religion one chooses. Some examples are, you can have whatever religion you want, or you don't have to have any religion at all. Freedom of religion is very important because in other countries it has tore them apart. Freedom of press is very similar to freedom of speech, it means to have the right to circulate opinions in print without censorship by the government. America is a great place to live in. Equality is very important. Equality is a right given to all us americans. Equality is everyone having the same worth. That is a very hard thing for people in America. People judge your race, sex, income, where you live. We need to strive for equality we want to live in a world where everyone isn't judging us. Everyone is equal to each other. So what is our hope for the people? It’s to live in a world where your income doesn’t matter, your race doesn’t matter, your sex doesn’t matter. You want to feel safe. “Children are the world's most valuable resource and its the best hope for the future.” -John f. Kennedy I think this quote resembles a lot of our future because how us kids learn that's what we will teach our future kids, what our teachers teach us that's how we are going to take our future.
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.
1. The measure of a great society is the ability of its citizens to tolerate the viewpoints of those with whom they disagree. As Voltaire once said, “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” (Columbia). This right to express one's opinion can be characterized as “freedom of speech.” The concept of “freedom of speech” is a Constitutional right in the United States, guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution:
The United States of America is often known for having more freedom than anywhere else. As Gandhi said, “A ‘no’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘yes’ uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.” Freedom of speech is a big part of the American culture and citizens are encouraged to speak their minds and opinions openly. It is such an important aspect of each American individual that it is
“This dream of equality and fairness has never come easily—but it has always been sustained by the belief that in America, change is possible. Today, because of that hope, coupled with the hard and painstaking labor of Americans sung and unsung, we live in a moment when the dream of e...
The prompt for this essay is, “Does freedom need to be won more than once?” In my opinion, it does and it has to be won with every generation. I think even though there are laws ensuring our rights, they are not always upheld. For example, women and men are supposed to be equal, but in some situations they get paid less. In this essay, I will argue that our freedoms must continually be earned. For instance, the Revolutionary War was fought to gain independence from Britain, the Civil War was fought to abolish slavery, and the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the 1910s to 1920s was aimed to allow women to vote.
Imagine a time when one could be fined, imprisoned and even killed for simply speaking one’s mind. Speech is the basic vehicle for communication of beliefs, thoughts and ideas. Without the right to speak one’s mind freely one would be forced to agree with everything society stated. With freedom of speech one’s own ideas can be expressed freely and the follower’s belief will be stronger. The words sound so simple, but without them the world would be a very different place.
A group of people riding a ship are being tossed by high waves and scorched by the hot sun. They feel tired, hungry, cold, and yet a fierce light burns within them. As they look across the ocean, they see something that will change their lives forever. Green grass and tall trees that seem to touch the sky stretch across the horizon as they look towards it with hope. All they want is a fresh start and all they dream about is a safe life, one they can call their own. This land and source of hope is America. Throughout the years people have come to America to start a new life. Some wished for a big house, while others wanted an education that could get them a job. Others yet wanted a family and to make a difference in their lives and others. Everyone has an idea or goal that provides them with a perfect life and this idea is considered as the American Dream. Being able to live in a county where families support each other, people get equality, and education is important is my American Dream.
Freedom of speech is the gift to speak one’s mind, challenge political figures, stand up for what you believe in, and most importantly never have a fear that the words you say can cost you your life.2 In the 1800s-1900s many inventions such as the television, radios, typewriter, and telephone were invented that have allowed ones speech to reach all of the United States within a turn of a switch.3
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
In an average day, an American is exposed to over 3000 advertisements, (Kilbourne). Whether they want to admit it or not, they are drawn toward them. A common scheme of the advertisers is to allow the consumer to “picture the new them.” Whether this be a wealthier them, a skinner them, or a prettier them, they gear there product towards every person and want everyone be able to connect with the advertisement and picture the “new them.” American Idol, Nutrisystem, and The Biggest Loser, the lottery, and many other “products” promote that anyone has the chance to be famous, fit, or fortunate. The successes from these “products” present themselves as they were before, with the sob story that hopefully touches a nerve with Americans, or the “consumer”. Then, like some sort of miracle occurred, they are the “new them,” giving a testimonial that “you can do it too!” and you can be who you have always wanted to be. However, the sad reality is that these people are lucky. It rarely happens that someone makes it in the music industry in a matter of months, looses two-hundred pounds in less than a year, or wins millions of dollars within days of buying a piece of paper. Because few exploit the American Dream by promising wealth or fame to many others, a false sense of hope has been created for those who are economically marginalized.
Freedom of speech and press, or freedom of expression, are "fundamental rights". Without these freedoms a truly free society cannot exist. By definition, they allow the citizens to communicate their ideas both verbally and in print. There are many advantages, as well as disadvantages, that an individual receives these rights. However, as with most constitutional freedoms, free of expression can be limited under certain circumstances.
The American Dream is an integral part of the American Mythos. Politicians have debated for centuries its status. Is it alive? Dead? They cannot tell because since the birth of America in 1776 it has been a futile. New York in the 1920’s is the greatest example of this false sense of optimism. Everyone was successful. Everyone had money. This phony sense of wealth and success was the product of large swaths of people buying stock on credit. They used fake money to buy more intangible capital. It was all artificial and bound to come crashing down. There was no chance for real social mobility. One had success for a fleeting second and then it was gone. Myrtle Wilson grasps for this false sense of hope. She is stuck in a broken marriage, dire
Freedom of speech has many positive things, one of which is the help it gives on decision-making. Thanks to freedom of speech it is possible to express personal ideas without fear or restraints; therefore, all the perspectives and options will be on the table, giving people more opportunities to choose from. Nevertheless, everything in life has a limit, and the limit of freedom of speech depends directly on the consideration of the rights of others. People is free of believing what they want, thinking what they want, and even saying what they want, everything as long as they do not intrude or violate anyone else's rights. Under certain circumstances freedom of speech should be limited, and this is more than just a political action, this acts represent the urge for tolerance and the need for respect.
Thus, right to freedom of speech and expression means the right to explicit one's own persuasion and opinions freely by words of mouth, writing, printing, pictures or any other mode. It thus implicate the expression of one's idea through any communicable medium or visible representation, such as gesture, and signs. This expression signify also publication and thus the freedom of press is included in this category. (The Constitution of
Freedom of speech protects everyone from all walks of life to think and express themselves freely. Without this guaranteed freedom, unpopular opinions would be hidden out of fear of retribution, change and progress would come to a screeching halt and all of the other freedoms listed throughout the Constitution and all of the amendments that follow would crumble.