In the spirit of the holiday, I thought I'd blog about something
relevant to the day itself, so here's my question to you: what is
freedom? People interpret it in many different ways. A particular
version I found in Webster's Dictionary
includes the following in it's description: the quality or state of
being free; the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice
or action; liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of
another; the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from
something onerous, such as freedom from care; and the quality of being
frank, open, or outspoken; It's also listed as a political right,
franchise, or privilege. It's a rather formal definition, but for some
reason it doesn't seem enough in describing the word itself. It is so
encompassing that it's hard to believe that people can take freedom for
granted....but they can and they often do.
The word itself,
"freedom," is used so much by media figures that people may tune it out.
Disturbing yet true. It sometimes seems to be twisted to fit the
ideals of one particular person or group and impressed upon us as
something that is the right to only a select few. In actuality it is
extremely pervasive and entrenched in almost every aspect of American
life. It can be as basic as choices in what kind of food we eat, what
clothes we wear, or who we decide to talk to. As Americans we are free
to include ourselves in or protest problems with our government through
the power of voting and participation in civic activities.
However,
as the saying goes, "freedom is not completely free." American freedom
intertwines with another concept intregral to it's ultimate survival
and longevity: responsibility. In principle, responsibility is vital
for our freedom to fluorish. We have various degrees of responsibility
to our families, our friends, our neighbors, our government, and
especially to ourselves. The delicate balance between what we are free
to do and what we are responsible for is what many of our laws attempt
to redress. Some people take their responsibilities very seriously and
some drop them like a bad habit when they probably shouldn't.
Ultimately, whatever responsibility we decide to take is a choice we
make freely even when it seems we don't have one.
So again, what
is freedom? I believe the meaning differs for each of us and it can be
hard to put into words, but it is so meaningful that we actually take a
day to celebrate what it means to each of us. Until next time, take
care and God Bless.
DJ
