What does “freedom” mean to Americans?
Introduction
Freedom is defined
as the ability of an individual to speak, act or do as he/ she pleases without
hindrance from a foreign domination. It is a virtue earned by our founding
fathers of this great Nation through the American constitution. Courtesy of
freedom, the American citizens can move freely, marry without restrictions, own
property, elect leaders etc. hence making them live a fulfilling life. Amar
Reed states that that, “Freedom is enhanced by two core values: respect and
diversity”[1]
(Amar 37). The American society is diverse in respect to religion, cultural
background, race and personal interests; hence there is need for respect between
two individuals. The respect between individuals embraces diversity thus
leading to harmony in the society. Unlike many countries, the United States’
citizens experience one of the best freedoms in the world. The freedoms and
rights are included in the constitution under the bill of rights.
Freedoms in the United
States
In the 10th
amendment of the United States constitution, the bill of rights was included so
as to protect individual rights of every citizen. In this bill, the authorities
were restricted from infringing into personal rights hence creating a free and
conducive environment for the American public. The American society enjoys the
following freedoms:-
Freedom
of religion
Every American
citizen has a freedom to be of any religion because the constitution recognizes
the existence of several religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Hindu etc. Therefore,
the society is not forced into a specific religion: for example, in some Middle
East countries; the government has restricted the religion of its citizens thus
the inhabitants of such places do not enjoy the freedom of religion like the
American people.
Freedom
of movement
The freedom of
movement allows the American citizens to move and settle in any state without
restrictions. This is not the case in some parts of the world where by the not
only the government can restrict movement but also the security situation. For
example, in Somalia, the freedom of movement is restricted due to insecurity in
that region. However, this freedom can be limited in the event of a criminal
offence whereby one would be required to reside in a state prison. Elaine
Landau in her book civil rights movement states that, “the American society has
learned to appreciate its freedoms such as the freedom of movement within
states”[2]
(Landau 45)
Freedom
of press
The press is an
important tool in the delivery of information to the public. Therefore, it is
required to be independent from the influence of the authorities or any other
influential person so that the public can receive real information. This has
been made possible courtesy of the American constitution which provides for
freedom of press. Though this freedom can be limited for security reasons,
press freedom is an essential tool in the representation of people’s views.
Freedom
of speech
With the help of
freedom of speech, any individual is therefore free to criticize the
government’s actions without being victimized by those in authority. The
freedom of speech has helped to keep check in cases of corruption and misuse of
government funds by some public officers. In some countries, activists have had
to serve long terms in jail for speaking against the authority. Therefore,
freedom to American people means having the right to criticize those in
authority.
Freedom to choose good governance
The constitution
provides for a democratic form of government; whereby there is rule of the
people, for the people and by the people. The public is therefore not forced to
vote for a specific candidate because the decisions are made independently by
an individual. George Bush and Joy Hakim
state that, “through democracy, the American society has had their rights and
freedoms respected by the leaders” [3](Bush
and Hakim 101). Therefore, the American system of governance is characterized
with much freedom that makes it an example of a successful democracy.
Right
to privacy
The constitution
provides that the authority should accord every citizen with the privacy that
he/ she deserves. In case the authorities want to arrest the person, they are
bound by constitution to provide an arrest warrant. Also, in the situation of
investigations, the authorities must also provide a search warrant that allows
them to legally search a person’s property. As opposed to other countries, the
American citizens have their rights to privacy respected by the authorities.
Advantages of this
rights and freedoms
The freedoms and
rights have proved to be beneficial over time. This is because it has helped in
shaping the society hence ensuring comfort ability of every individual. A free
society has contributed to the following:-
Economic
growth
Public freedom is
a necessity for the economic prosperity of a given state. This is because the
public would have the liberty to carry out their day to day activities without
restrictions. Such freedom would attract investment in various sectors of the
economy hence resulting into growth of the economy.
Moreover, an
environment without public freedom contributes to activism from some
organizations. This would result to public demonstrations and protests against
the government hence leading to decline in economic activities. However, a
satisfied public would spend more time in nation building thus contributing to
the growth of the economy.
Choosing
of good leaders
As stated by David
Fischer, “Freedom gives room for the practice of democracy which in essence
results to choosing of a good leadership”[4]
(Fischer 67). This is done through a free, fair and transparent election where
the stakeholders become satisfied with the results. Also, freedom allows the
citizens to participate in self governorship; as opposed to the tyrannical rule
experienced in some third world countries. The seasonal change of leaders
allows new ideas of prosperity to be implemented.
Social
satisfaction
Freedom to make
independent decision contributes to personal satisfaction and happiness. In a
study carried out in the American rehabilitation centers, it was found out that
the inmates were less happy compared to the rest of the free people. This research
was done putting all factors such as food, bedding etc constant while limiting
only freedom. In addition, the research further found out that free people are
more innovative that the inmates. This led to the conclusion that freedom is an
essential part of a human social life.
Disadvantages of
freedoms to the American society
Political
unrest
If misused, the
freedoms accorded to people can lead to political and social unrest. For
example, the freedom of speech can result into expression of racial messages or
can lead to riots. The freedom of speech has been the cause of many riots in
the universities because of relaying of incorrect messages to the public.
Public expectation on
freedom
Even though the
government has done much in ensuring the individual freedoms are respected, the
American citizens still feel that the government has to do more. Os Guinness
states that, “ many Americans are optimistic that the government would provide
more services to the public”[5]
(Guinness 121)They anticipate to be allowed to have the freedom to access
quality free medical care from the public institutions. Also, they hope for a
day in which they would have the freedom to access free education right from
the kindergarten to the university.
Conclusion
In conclusion, freedom is enhanced by respect
and diversity between two people or even more. Individual freedoms have been
fully stated by the American constitution hence allowing for protection of
civilians. The American citizens are therefore accorded the freedom of
religion, freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of press and the
freedom to democratically elect leaders. These freedoms have resulted into
economic growth, political stability and social satisfaction of the society.
Even though analysts claim that in some instances freedom of speech may result
into political unrest, these can be regulated to ensure harmony in the society.
Therefore, freedom in America can be summarized to mean; living in a society
where a person’s potential is realized because the government has created a
suitable environment.
[1]
Reed, Amar. The bill of rights: creation
and reconstruction. New haven: Yale university publisher. April 2000. Print
[2]
Landau, Elaine. The civil rights movement
in America. New York: Children’s press. 2003. Print
[3]Bush,
George. & Hakim, Joy. Freedom: a
history of US. New York: Oxford university press. November 2002. Print
[4]
Fischer, David. Liberty and freedom: a
visual history of America’s founding ideas. New York: Oxford university
press. 2006. Print
[5]
Guinness, Os. A free people’s suicide:
sustainable freedom and the American future. Westmont, Illinois:
Intervarsity press publishers. July 23, 2012. Print
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