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Recommended: The fight for freedom
As human beings, we endure each and every day, a constant fight for freedom. Liberty is described as ‘’the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint’’ (Dictionary.com). Relevant examples are found throughout history of the restraints of rights and the ever constant search for true freedom. Perhaps the most atrocious removal can be seen in the Second World War; Legal and fundamental rights were taken away at this time without thought or conscience. Other examples include the segregation of the blacks and white in South Africa during the Apartheid Era, the Vietnam War, and more recently the War on Terrorism (Al-Qaeda). However, these examples can also be seen as unconscious means of evolving society to …show more content…
Our environment confines us as well, the dictations of society our ball and chain. From our very birth, we are taught to act a certain way and to do certain things. Gender roles, among others, are defined strictly and clearly from the very beginning. Even worse, they lead people to believe that we are required to conform to the rules of society. Notably, Christopher Gardner says it best in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness: ‘’ Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me. All right? You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.’’ (Conrad 1). It takes a lot of courage to decide that nobody dictates who you are and who you want to be. There is a safety in being a part of a community. However, conforming completely overtakes our freedom. President John F. Kennedy said ‘’Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth’’. Standing apart is the true challenge human beings must face. The mental barriers’ and the limits that you and others place on each other are the jailers to freedom. Tossing out those barriers and choosing to be your own self is the most difficult trial. But if we realise the goal of personal acceptance, then the sky is the …show more content…
It is society’s belief that for liberty to be attained there must be restraints. Autonomy is valued and rare, and we deem that some must have less freedom for others to have more. On the contrary, Nelson Mandela, famed South African politician, stated, “For freedom is not merely to cast of one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances freedom for others.”(Mandela 1). We are each and every one of us capable of making a difference in others’ lives. The placating “rights” that society gives us should no longer satisfy. Every individuals needs, rather than a minorities wants should be a priority. Additionally, physical and mental barriers must no longer contain us. Ronald Reagan thought that, “freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” (Reagan 1). The beauty in being human is that we always have a choice. There is nothing we can’t do, once we realise the power of a decision. Whether true freedom really exists or not, whether there are real or imagined barriers, the power of choice is the key to finally solving the question of freedom. It can then be ascertained that freewill belongs to the individual and can mean whatever brings them the most
Mencken’s observations are very relevant and it applies to contemporary society. It is necessary to identify what it means by being “free”. Does being free mean that one has choice of religion and type of government? The type of freedom mentioned previously do not apply to mankind if mankind is not safe and is risk for danger. It is human nature to choose safety over freedom as shown in various examples.
insist on our right of and capacity for being self-governing individuals. But we find ourselves again under the rule of a king - an authority exterior to the self. This time, however, we cannot as easily identify the king and declare our independence." Despite
Can certain people assume absolute rights over others? Do people deserve a voice in determining what goes on in their lives as well as their country? Are people liable for their own actions? The questions asked above all fall under one theme that will be discussed: autonomy and responsibility. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word ‘autonomy’ as self-government or the right to self-government; self-determination; independence.
The interpretation of freedom can sometimes be viewed differently among people, which creates the pursuit of liberty to be much more arduous. Property, the right to vote, and the color of your skin, all contribute to the equality or inequality we face when searching to create a society based on a populations overall needs and whether or not we have a voice in electing our representatives. Freedom is a burdensome idea that is defined differently among society and leads to several areas of conflict and confusion. Even though people have signed petitions and laws to create freedom, several instances have emerged documenting how freedom and equality are harder to gain. In order to eliminate oppression in any environment, it is necessary to level
Our nation seems as if it is in a constant battle between freedom and safety. Freedom and security are two integral parts that keep our nation running smoothly, yet they are often seen conflicting with one another. “Tragedies such as Pearl Harbor, 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombings may invoke feelings of patriotism and a call for unity, but the nation also becomes divided, and vulnerable populations become targets,” (Wootton 1). “After each attack a different group or population would become targets. “The attack on Pearl Harbor notoriously lead to Japanese Americans being imprisoned in internment camps, the attacks on 9/11 sparked hate crimes against those who appeared to be Muslim or Middle Eastern,” (Wootton 1). Often times people wind up taking sides, whether it be for personal freedoms or for national security, and as a nation trying to recover from these disasters we should be leaning on each other for support. Due to these past events the government has launched a series of antiterrorist measures – from ethnic profiling to going through your personal e-mail (Begley 1). Although there are times when personal freedoms are sacrificed for the safety of others, under certain circumstances the government could be doing more harm than good.
Restraint and Activism Judicial activism is loosely defined as decisions or judgements handed down by judges that take a broad interpretation of the constitution. It is a decision that is more of a reflection of how the judge thinks the law should be interpreted, rather than how the law has or was intended to be interpreted. There are many examples of judicial activism; examples include the opinions of Sandra Day O'Connor in the Lynch v. Donnelly and the Wallace v. Jaffree trials. Sandra Day argues for the changing of the First Amendment's ban on "establishment" of religion into a ban on "endorsement" of religion. Others include the U.S. v. Kinder, where Congress passed legislation that would require a minimum sentence for persons caught distributing more than 10 grams of cocaine.
Freedom is automatically given from birth because everyone is created equal. This can be supported by three different texts: “I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr., “The Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela, and “The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses” by Bessie Head. People might think that freedom must be demanded, or fought for. But according to the texts, this is not true.
When thinking of freedom, it’s the idea that people are able to act, speak, and have their own thoughts without any restraints. With oppression it’s the prolong of cruel treatment or control. I think the need for freedom and the overcoming of oppression is something that has been an issue since the time of slavery, maybe even before then it 's just that we’re not considered as property in this day in age and we’re entitled to the same rights as everyone else. When I think about it, are we really free and what are the reasons for someone suffering at some point in their life? Nelson Mandela’s reflection, “Working Toward Peace” and Ursula Le Guin, in her fictional essay “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” both discuss these themes throughout
Human beings, even when they are trapped or imprisoned, tend to assert their individuality or personal freedom. For decades now, the true meaning of freedom has been a very controversial topic. According to the American Heritage College Dictionary the word freedom means. The Condition of being free of constraints. Freedom can be felt, not physically but mentally through emotions. When human beings are trapped or imprisoned, most would have to achieve their own personal freedom in order to survi...
Throughout history freedom has had many different meanings and definitions; based on race, gender, and ethnicity. According to the dictionary freedom means the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint (“freedom” def. 1). Freedom may seem like something given to everyone however it was something workers had to fight for. Not everyone believed that workers’ rights needed to be changed, which led to a long battle between workers, employers and the government. To the working class people freedom meant making higher wages, having regulated hours, workable conditions and the right to free speech.
The United States is in a tricky situation. First and foremost, we are a country that prides itself on being free. Even the fourth amendment to our Constitution declares, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” Yet we are also a country that demands security. Americans expect that our government will keep us safe. These two ideals, freedom and security, are often at odds. How can we expect our government to stop terrorism without infringing on our rights? Recent disclosures, that the government has access to American phone calls and emails, have brought this debate to the forefront of public discourse.
Every human being should have the right to be, as Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, free from fear. However, society is faced with the harsh reality that not every human being is born under circumstances where they have a true freedom from fear. All over the world people face abusive and violent situations that cripple them with fear. Society strives to find liberty from these terrifying situations for all people. However, this idea of freedom from fear is not a new concept. For many centuries the human race has tried to find freedom from the fear of oppressive governments, war, and violence. While the subject of our fear may change from time to time the basic human goal has said the same: True freedom is found in living when the freedom from fear is obtained.
It is debatable as to whether we are free to make our own choices or not. There is a fair range in people's ideas on our freedom. The three main perspectives on our freedom, however, are determinism, indeterminism and compatibilism.
If we start letting simple freedoms go, we could lose some major ones. Works Cited Huxley, Aldous. A. & Co. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006.
The only freedom we get to keep is the freedom of defense. We cannot have the freedom to do as we please because if we break the law, we will become an outlaw. Freedom leads to the idea of desire, wanting something, based on something we don’t have. Human being is a machine of desire. If we want something, we will find a way to get what we want.