America -- the land of the free, the home of the brave. Many come to America with high expectations of freedom and adventures. Yes, there is plenty of adventure in America, but is there really freedom? Some come to realize that although the government deems it legal, your society thinks otherwise. The power of the government is great, but the power of the voice of the people can be greater. Unfortunately, opinions speak louder than facts and facts are twisted to form opinions.
The feud over the statement “under God” being added to the Pledge of Allegiance has been on-going since 1954. Does this statement reflect the god of all religions or just Christianity? This is the root of the debacle.
That is one of the reasons I ask, is America really a free country?
Opponents propose that church and state should be kept strictly separate as the Founding Fathers intended. It is true that the words “separation of church and state” do not appear in the Constitution, but other documents from the period, statements by following U.S. Presidents demonstrate that our government is not based on any religion.
Aside from religion, the freedom of speech is a written yet rarely practiced amendment. You have the freedom to share your opinion, but you do not have the luxury for that opinion to go unopposed. Not only will it be opposed, but those who do not agree will go further into saying, “you are wrong.” An opinion is a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. An opinion can be skewed, but you cannot change people.
When is the last time you did something without being judged or ridiculed?
The argument over transgender bathrooms or transgender people being able to use the bathroom of their choice draws more attention than the upcoming Presidential elections. A transgender person should use the restroom that corresponds to his or her gender identity. What people do not realize -- or do not agree with -- is that gender and sex are not the same. Your sex is dependent on your reproductive functions. Your gender is the state of being male or female, typically used with reference to social or cultural differences rather than biological ones. The only person who can decide your gender is you.
These are just a few of examples of America’s lack of freedom. Lack of free speech, lack of free opinion, lack of being able to comfortably use the restroom are every day debacles that seem minor but turn into something greater than the debate of our nation’s future leader.
