America, the Land of the Free. This ideal has been the hallmark of every American's socialization since childhood. Americans have grown up being taught how great the United States is as well as how fortunate we are to have been born into citizenship here. I have grown up never doubting my love for this country until recently. What does it mean to live in the Land of the Free? To me, to live in the Land of the Free is to be free of restrictions, having the right to act, speak, or think as one wants without restraint (as long as it does not cause harm to others). It is to be able to freely live amongst diverse individuals in peace. Surely, we as Americans are free...aren't we?
I don't know the answer for certain anymore. If I were to express my curiosity out loud, some would immediately say yes without a doubt while others would disagree. What makes America the Land of the Free? American citizens have been given many rights and freedoms protected by the United States Constitution; however, I still fail to see any true freedom. By this point, some may think I am being ungrateful, but if you think about America's past, you will notice how there has always been particular groups of people not being treated fairly and having to fight for their rights.
African-Americans had to fight for their freedom from slavery as well as their basic rights, Japanese-Americans had to fight for their rights, Native Americans had to fight for their citizenship, women had to fight for their right to vote, and many other people have to continue to fight today. Yes, present day America is more free than it has been in the past, but people are still fighting. There lies a problem. In the Land of the Free, no one should have to fight for their rights and freedoms. No ones rights and freedoms should even be questioned, but it has happened in the past and it is still happening today.
As American citizens, we have the power to change this. We are encouraged to be free individuals in a free country yet many are still taught that they must conform to society and adopt all its strict rules, laws and boundaries without questioning it. We try to control each other. To be truly free, we need more acceptance and less judgmental minds. It should not matter what an individuals race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or religion is. It is sad that this still has to be emphasized. We are all human.
America is not perfect. Right now, our "indivisible" country is greatly divided. We have the ability to make it better, but we need to stand together and treat each other better.
