As we approach closer to the July 4th weekend, we can start looking back at America's history and appreciate how far we have come. We celebrate this by having cookouts and barbecue with family, music, and of course, fireworks!
But... what would happen if we didn't have freedom?
Let's look back at how we got our freedom...
We can't understand the value of freedom until we look back at how we got our freedom. The tradition of having independence trails back to the early 1800s. After Christopher Columbus Sailed into the "New World," he realized he had company (aka Indians).
Meanwhile, everyone else started heading to this new land because they did not like the King's laws. So in 1775, the "Americans" declared war against Britain to gain independence.
Since the Americans won the Revolution, Thomas Jefferson had created a document confirming that they were free from Britain, titled the "Declaration of Indepence" on July 4, 1776. The 13 colonies were no longer under England's rule, instead, they were their own country. This document contains the famous opening line, which quotes:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
What is freedom?
According to Dictionary Cambridge , Freedom is defined as "the condition or right of being able or allowed to do whatever you want to do without being controlled or limited". So many people come from all over the world to America to achieve their "American Dream". With this, freedom and Liberty, they can achieve it, without any limitations or being controlled.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
As we look at the Preamble of the Declaration of Indepence, it first shows that ALL men are created equal, meaning all people are treated equality. If there is discrimination, then that's not treating "all men" equally.
Secondly, it explains that everyone has rights, which is structured on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As we look back to the definition, freedom is the ability to do whatever we want without being limited or controlled.
But, as you know, with great power (in this case freedom) comes great responsibility. One of Newton's three Laws of Motion states that "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction". This is also known as the "Chain reaction effect".
This can be applied to life in general. In this case, talking about freedom, yes, American can do whatever they want. However, what they do affects their consequences in the future.
For example, if you leave your house and left your door unlocked, then you are risking a robbery taking place inside your home. According to Romancing your Soul, "Everything we do is a choice, and every choice we make has a consequence" regardless of whether or not the consequences are good or bad.
If it wasn't for the military, the United States of America wouldn't be United. We wouldn't have our freedom and rights. They made the choice to sacrifice their lives to serve and protect our country.
The choices we make may not only affect ourselves but also others in the long run. Sometimes, we may unintentionally harm others and ourselves without even knowing it. So with freedom comes great responsibility.
Why do we have freedom? Why do we need it?
In short, we have the freedom we have because we have earned it from the British. We had a choice whether or not to stand up against the British, and we did.
As previously mentioned, freedom is the ability to do whatever you want without limitations or being controlled. However, according to John Mill and his work "On Liberty," he argues that "Liberty is justified by the utility obtained by having it."
So what does this mean? It's safer to have freedom and liberty than to be "sorry," as people say.
We need freedom because it involves our everyday lives. How we spend our money, how we earn it, what we say, what we do, what we believe, all of those are choices we make. And those choices come from freedom.
What if we didn't have freedom?
Imagine living in a country where you can't decide what you want to become, how you want to spend your day or even how you want to live your life.
Imagine a life where you don't get a say--a life where all of your choices are made for you.
For some people, this is the case. They don't get a choice. All of their choices are already made for them.
Now, imagine a life where nobody was controlling you. (Yes, you will be able to make your own decisions.) However, there is no structure, leading to chaos. There's no leader to guide the civilization. With nobody to manage anything, the chaos created will just get worse. All the people in the community have to take care of each other and manage each other. Everyone is not only their own boss but also everyone else's boss as well.
So then... what does it mean to be free?
Being free is the ability to do whatever you want without limitations or controls. But, with those choices you make there will be a cost later on. We live in a world where we can make our own decisions at our own free will, not someone else's will.
America is structured on Democracy and a free-market economy. Everybody has a say and still has someone to look up to as a leader.
Looking back at our history, we fought for our freedom. We stood up for what we thought was right. So, sit back, relax, eat some food, watch some fireworks. Everybody's earned it! Long live the American Dream.
"From sea to shining sea... Let freedom ring!"
