A perspective on Freedom

The word freedom is spoken so arbitrarily, in recent times that the true meaning gets lost in the confusion of political discussion.  Recently, an English professor posed the question to his students “What is freedom?” A large majority of the responses were, “To do what you want to do.”  Now is that freedom? Or is that anarchy?  American freedom, a perpetually evolving concept, which was conceived over two-hundred-years-ago is modeled by many reedom is more than just a two-syllable word.

            Our founding fathers, who possessed intelligence, integrity, compassion, andcountries around the world.  A simplistic definition of freedom would not provide it justice.  F great loyalty to their sovereign King, felt that their Creator gave them certain rights to be free from the King’s rule and oppression.  This concept was easy to say, but even these great men had difficulty explaining this new concept.  Remarkably, their letter of intent to King George, The Declaration of Independence, expressed this concept without stating the word freedom, but encompassed the meaning of freedom with the “unalienable rights” of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  This concept would come with the high cost of mortal sacrifice of the many lives of men and women.  However; the remaining faithful partisans would stay the course and remain loyal to “the cause” of freedom.

            Throughout the history of the United States, the American people have been tested time and time again on their belief in “the cause”.  Americans have banded together to fight the forces of tyranny and oppression from foreign and domestic influences.  The United States has endured many wars, as well, as a great civil war.  Americans have stood up and protested many injustices affecting the freedom of its people.  These unalienable rights of freedom have cost many their lives, some to be imprisoned, and others to have acts of terrorism to be committed upon them.  This concept has endured and brought forth the end of slavery, the right of women to vote and the end of tyrannical reigns of power, such as Hitler.

            Unfortunately; even with all of this rich history to draw on for strength and knowledge Americans can take freedom for granted.  The secret to the future of freedom is the past.  The past sacrifices must always be remembered for the future to be insured.  Freedom exists only with the consent of the people, and their will to uphold “the cause.”  If the masses become complacent, and lose sight of the cost of their unalienable rights, then freedom is lost.

            Freedom is a right to be valued and enjoyed by all people, but it should be revered as a privilege that has been bestowed to the many by those few individuals who have sacrificed to provide that right.  Freedom is not some arbitrary word to take for granted.  Freedom is not easily defined and certainly is not just a two-syllable word, but the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with the knowledge of what it costs or what it could cost to preserve that right.