Freedom is defined as "the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraint," according to website Wordnetweb.princeton.edu. Freedom has defined the American way of life since the country's founding, and almost every citizen feels positive about the benefits freedom provides. The feelings people associate with freedom vary based on individual circumstances.
Significance
Freedom is significant for most Americans because of the country's political history and the struggle to achieve it. Since the United States' early political history, the First Amendment has been an example of the importance of personal liberty in the United States. According to the document, the government is prohibited from "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." This history and struggle has inspired deep emotions in Americans with regard to freedom.
Different Perspectives
While most Americans consider freedom a positive condition, not all groups living in the United States experience freedom the same way. For example, an African American descendant of a slave might feel differently about freedom than a Native American living on a reservation. The African American might feel grateful for his own freedom but sad about the lack of freedom afforded to his ancestors. Native Americans might feel they lack freedom because the establishment of the United States inhibited the rights and choices of their ancestors and the growth of their culture.
Benefits
When considering the emotional benefits of freedom, one must consider the personal power freedom confers on a person who has the liberty to encounter or express minority ideas and experiences without fear of repercussions. The range of experiences available to Americans creates a wide range of personality types. People also feel free to express themselves if their rights are being trespassed upon. This adds to a feeling of personal empowerment that contrasts sharply with the feelings of fear present in more authoritarian environments.
Conflict
The significant emotions that freedom inspires in the United States and the ensuing expression afforded by that freedom, creates a passionate discourse among American citizens with regard to freedom issues, such as politics, expression, rights and justice. In other words, the positive aspects of freedom that create diversity and happiness also cause conflict and anger when the diverse viewpoints collide, according Stolle.
Insights
Numerous public figures have offered insights into the emotional significance of freedom because they have experienced abridgment of their own freedoms in their struggle to secure it for others. Nelson Mandela, for example, served a 27-year prison term for fighting against apartheid, and he recognized the emotions integral to curtailing another's freedom in his autobiography, "A Long Walk to Freedom." He wrote, "A man who takes away another man's freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else's freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me."
References
- WordNetweb.princeton.edu: Freedom
- PsychCentral: Why are Feelings Important?
- SelfGrowth.com: Seven Great Quotes from Nelson Mandela's Autobiography 'Long Walk to Freedom'
- "Political Studies": When Does Diversity Erode Trust?; Dietlind Stolle; March 2008
