Equiano was obviously stripped of his freedom during his captivity, which later inspired him to write his narrative to help end slavery. This leads me to ask the question: What does freedom mean to you, and why?
25 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I have never actually thought deeply in what freedom means to me. Free expression of beliefs, freedom of speech etc... would be my usual generic answers. I currently live being free and was probably born free, because of that I think that I have taken freedom for granted. Since we are used to this, freedom might mean something different than "Legal Freedom" to us. We might have some of our own "Freedom Expectations" such as being allowed to stay outside for a certain time by our parents. Most of them are realistic to let parents/teachers etc... to let us have the freedom of something we want. Some however may call that privilege instead of freedom. Some of my friends used to complain about their "freedom", when I personally think its a privilege, so I think some may confuse privilege instead of freedom as I see it. Like I said, I take freedom for granted... Now, If I back in time and a slave, I would obviously take freedom as... not being owned and forced around. If I were to experience all the horrors of being a slave, I would most definitely appreciate freedom a whole lot more than right now. I believe that the level of freedom expectation will vary on how that person was treated in his lifetime. Freedom to me would be the generic answers; the rest of the things that I am allowed to do are viewed as privileges to me.
You know Adam, you don't always have to use your ipod to put a comment on here...
I've never really thought about freedom that much. It's just another thing that we take for granted like electricty. It's just there and we don't give it a second thought. However, now that this subject is in the spotlight, I can now really think about what freedom means to me. My definition would probably be having the ability to do what you want when you want. This is probably too loose of a good definition, but it kind of says what I feel. I mean there's also freedom of speech, religion, beliefs, etc... We don't know how lucky we are to have some of the freedoms and privileges that we do now as opposed to when there was slavery, even though there are some cases still... It is sad though that freedom comes at a cost. There have been so many wars and other disputes around the world for freedom. Of course there are, I guess, many types of freedom like the ones Adam mentions. "Leagal Freedom" and "Freedom Expectations". In court and law enforcement freedoms then there are the freedoms that we are allowed by parents and teachers, which I would agree with Adam, are more like privileges. For example, being able to go outside during lunch is a privilege that could easily be taken away by the teachers. So I guess what freedom means to me is what I already think, and what others might think about it, everything else is a privilege.
I like what the two guys above me said about people taking freedom for granted. I mean, once you've had it for so long, you just don't stop to appreciate this, and I think the journals really make us stop and think about different issues. Personally, I believe freedom is all the ones listed in the First Amendment plus some other ones that others might see as a privilage, it all just depends on how you use it. I think anything in this world is okay to do as long as it is not abused. Simply put, freedom should be the right (not privilage) to do anything one wishes as long as it doesn't hurt another or invade another's freedom. But then again, where do we draw the line at "hurting?" I just like to analyze too much, I'm sorry.
For a society that has never had to experience life without their rights and freedoms, we obviously take them for granted. I think nowadays our constitutional rights have been severly diluted by federal and local laws. Even so, compared to countries whose government's basically control the lives of the people, we have still have it pretty good. Freedom to me means the right to make choices that invole based on your life and minimally effect the live's of others. This is almost 100% true in the U.S., with a few exceptions. Some might argue that it's those exceptions that maintain order in the world, even though that's not my opinion. I'm perfectly content living in the U.S. and I couldn't imagine living life any other way.
Freedom. Just like everyone else I haven’t really thought about what freedom means to me in depth. If I had to give a quick definition right now of what I think it means then I would have to say: Freedom is when somebody can do whatever they want without being told not to. The dictionary however says: Freedom is the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint. These are both good definitions but I think they would only work in certain cases. I think freedom is too complex of a word to really put a definition to. It would be easier to define if there was only one type of freedom but there’s not. There are different levels of freedom like being an adult you have a lot more choices then when you are a child. Also there are some jobs that allow more freedoms then others or someone could be talking about freedom on a country wide level. Small privileges as a child, for example curfew, could also be considered a type of freedom. This is just a small list of the many freedoms out there. I know that I didn’t really answer the question, I just talked about it, and the reason for that is simply, I don’t know. I don’t know because I haven’t been living long enough to really know for sure. Maybe if I read one of those 2,000 page books written on one idea or even one word, then I might be able to figure something to say. Until then I guess I will stick with my answer.
Freedom...what a precious gift. It seems so very small these days, but in reality it is a big thing. Once upon a time we didn't have all the freedom we each share today. Freedom in itself is very important to me. My freedom each day allows me to make my own choices. For example how I dress...in some countries women are forced to follow a strict set of rules.They do not have a mind of their very own. I could not picture following what someone told me to do (unless for good reason lol) or be treated as if I was not a human being but a piece of property. Also they are sometimes not even allowed to go to school because of their religion, husband, or government. Im very thankful/grateful to live in the U.S.A. because here I have the option to be who I want to be. I couldn't even begin to understand what those in other countries feel being ruled without their own freedom.
Freedom is a very important word.For me this word represents everything I have in my life. In particular my decisions, lifestyle,school opportunities, and being who I want to be. I couldn't imagine someone forcing things that I didn't agree with on me.Especially having my freedom taken away. In reality the sad thing is freedom in other countries isn't so great. Some countries don't allow women rights and have set standards to what people can and can't do. Hopefully someday that will change in other countries for the people. It would be extremely hard imagining not having freedom.For me its a hard concept to wrap around. I feel extrememly blessed to live in the U.S. and have my freedom.
I'm really not sure what I think about freedom. Freedom is obviously a privilage to us and like everyone else has been saying, takes it for granted. I even admit that I take it for granted too because I mean really, I haven't known any different and I'm just used to being able to say and do what I want. If I was ever put in a situation like Equiano I would probably go crazy and probably end up killing my self..haha hopefully not but maybe. I think that it would be really hard to go through what the African's did.
Ok, so I agree with what everyone else has said when it comes to how we all take freedom for granted. We have the bill of rights and everything, but when I really think about freedom, I don't think about being legaly free to do what I want. Freedom to me right now is being able to do what ever I want without having to worry about what everyone thinks and if they're judging me. A couple weeks ago I was at my grandparents and they live on a this farm in a tiny town. One day I went for a walk out into one of the pastures and after walking about a mile I just stopped and I sang as loud as I could. (If you didn't know it, I'm not a good singer at all.)Anyway, i just stood there and sang for almost an hour. I probably went through like 20 songs. But it was amazing and liberating because I was free. I could sing as loud and as bad as I wanted to and no one heard me (Except for some cows). If the grass wasn't so high I probably would have started dancing too.Just for the fun of it. To me that's what freedom is, knowing that you can do what ever you want to do or be whoever you want to be.
Alright, as everybody previously stated (because they probably read my mind), I've never really sat down and pondered about freedom. But now that I am (sitting down and pondering about freedom), I'm realizing that freedom really is very special to me. Also, freedom is a very broad term. In general, freedom as a nation and as an individual is often taken for granted. This is typically due to the fact that all of us have grown up with the freedoms that we have today (like Ben said). Not only is it obviously nice to have all of the luxuries we enjoy today, but we need to remember how we got all of this freedom. Our ancestors fought for our freedom. That, to me, makes it that much more special.
Freedom...this might me a hard topic for me cuz i havn't really thought bout it before...I think im jus so use to having freedom that i haven't taken the time to really stop and think bout it. I think that most ppl take it for granted like i do... and i no that i should probably pay more attention to the news and what is going on in our country...i think that our freedom is more important than we think and we need to not take it for granted...but try to help protect those freedoms so that we may stay free!!
Wow, this seems like a really easy question...and then I actually have to answer it... To me, freedom is the knowledge that your personal thoughts and actions are protected from critism - if they are legal. So many Americans take this for granted, but there are so many people in the world that can only dream of this privilege. I am one of the Americans that take it for granted. I need to learn how to appreciate this wonderful right that I have been given. In our last journal post, I talked about how fighting for your beliefs is important. I feel the exact same way about fighting for freedom. Sometimes the fight is for an issue as small as being allowed to wear hoodies at school, but we fight because we want to continue to enjoy that freedom. Sometimes the fight is for a bigger cause (Revolutionary War, anyone?). Freedom is a wonderful privilege that comes in many different forms. I feel that it needs to be recognized and appreciated more, because once it's gone, our lives would become dramatically different.
Freedom to me means the gift of being able to do/say/act what/how I want, as long as it doesn't have potential to physically hurt anyone else. Or seriously emotionally scar them. I think we do take this gift for granted. I have no idea what it would be like to not be able to walk down the street and sing at the top of my lungs without getting in trouble. Or not being able to choose the classes I want because some higher power says I can't because of who I am. It's hard to even imagine because I have never been put in that situation. I pretty much agree with everyone else. It's hard to say "Yeah, I take my freedom for granted" because it's what's expected, but we have no idea how much we take it for granted, I think. It's a hard topic. We've never been without it, so how can we talk about how wonderful it is? It's all we've known. Not that I"m saying it's not fantastic, but I don't think we really know. Nor can we truly feel what people in other countries who have no freedom feel. We might think, "oh, that stinks for them," but how badly? Probably more than we would ever be able to imagine, even with all the news coverage about it.
Wow. That sounds generic. I wish this were an easier topic to take a side on. Not that it was easy to answer, but yeah.
freedom means that I can do the things I want to do (within limits I guess) and no one will tell me I cant do or think that particular thing. I see freedom as something that is really important because imagine if we had to live in a world or place where we couldnt express ourselves in the way we wanted to or forced to have a certain religion or whatever .....also americans dont know how amazing we have it the amount of opportunities that we get are so much more than other countries and the right for girls to go to school and be treated equally its all freedom with guide lines, but that also keeps order to something that could otherwise be crazy
First off, I, too, take freedom for granted, but when I think about stories like Equiano's from both slaves and people in general who are oppressed in other countries, it really makes me think about all the amazing things I have in my life. I am female, but I get to go to school(Yay?), express myself however I want, be whoever I want to be, etc. I'm reading Wuthering Heights right now, and although the people are free, everyone is basically under super strict rules about how to behave, and they can't express their opinions or personalities without people thinking they're crazy and then having some doctor come and drug them into a vegetable-like state that they consider normal human behavior.(If you haven't read the book, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about)((Just smile and nod))Anyway, freedom is my entire life, and now I can start to appreciate it.
Freedom really is what America is all about. I mean yes the government puts regulations on a few of our freedoms but in all reality, just as everyone else said, we have life a whole lot better then lots of countries in the world. I have no idea what I would do if I was put in the same situation as the Africans during the slave trade because I have never had to deal with anything like it. I know that I take my freedoms for granted just like pretty much every other American and I am pretty sure that if I did not have the freedoms that I have, I would definately go super crazy. So I guess that the U.S. is the perfect place for me at this point in time because it gives us plenty of rights compared to elsewhere. So I am pretty sure I'm just rehashing everything I have already said, I'm gonna go.
Well, just like eveyone else said, I have never really given much thought to what freedom means. I do believe that Americans take freedom for granted. We are all so used to doing pretty much whatever we want whenever we want as long as it is legal. We just expect to have it. Even though not having freedom is talked about in schools, i think that people have trouble grasping the concept of having someone else run your life. I guess that to me, freedom means that we are able to live our lives any way we want. We can be ourselves. We can all imagine what of would be like if we had no freedom, but only to a certain point. Unless we experience it first hand, we will never understand how awful not having freedom would be.
I totally agree with everyone else about freedom being taken for granted. As americans we have never really had to think about what freedom really is because we grew up with it. To me freedom is the privilege to speak what is on your mind, believe what you want to believe, and be able to go where you want to go (there are many more, but you get the idea). I personally do not think i could live in a country where i was not free. People need to be free to be themselves so that they can find out who they are!
Obviously freedom means a lot to me and all of us. I can't even imagine life without being able to do what i want to... talk freely, learn, vote, work, all of it. ALso I think that just by having freedom We're able to respect authority more. I view things a lot differenly when someone tells me to do something and I really have the choice, apposed to me being told I have to do something with no if's and's or but's. And it's also kinda like a peace thing to me too, because when we know we can make our own decisions there is less to rebel against. Some times i think we don't really realize how much of the world around us isn't free and how priviledged we are to be, and yet so many people get criticized for wanting to come here. I definetly know i would want to get out if i wasn't in a free country.I don't really always feel free tho because of a llittle problem called parents/dictators, but still. I dunno it's kinda cool thinking about all the stuff we really get to do.
Freedom means a lot of different things for me. Such as the freedom to stand up for my different beliefs. Equiano couldn't say anything or do anyhting that the sailors or his master didn't allow. If he did he would be beatened serverly. I think that in todays world we take to many of our freedoms for granted. I beleive that if people would look back in history at all the different freedoms people and races have had to fight for they would be amazed. Freedoms like the right of speech and women rights are a few example. Freedom means that I can do what I want. I realize that freedom does not mean the I can act or say anything I want. My freedoms also gives me the right to vote and voice my opinions.
Well, I'm sure I take freedom for granted, considering I've had it my entire life. But to me freedom is the right to do whatever I want, as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others. And as long as it doesn't kill them. Freedom is dressing the way you want, saying things other people may not like...but you can get away with it anyway. Freedom is choice, and unfortunately some people can't handle this freedom.
To me freedom is being able to believe whatever you want and then being able to express that beleif. It also means that i can live my life the way i want to and not being controlled by someone else. Its means this because living in America we have these rights and many more. Each person is entitled his or her opinion without having to worry about getting in trouble for having that opinion. No matter our race or gender were all human beings with feelings. Freedom is what keeps us going because its the chance to make something of yourself from your own actions and not someone elses.
Freedom means life. When you are stripped of your freedom how can you truly live? I think that people must live their lives to the fullest and this means being able to do what you want to some extent. Freedom means being able to make your own choices. If some is telling you what choices to make or what you have to choose, what gives them the right to decide what you can or can not do?So freedom is, in essence, being able to make decisions based on your wants and needs.
Freedom is incredibly important to me in the sense that you should be able to express your opinion on rules, changes, and beliefs. As Americans, we are extremely lucky that we have as many rights as we do, and since we have the upper hand, we should be extending it to others who can't speak for themselves. However, we sometimes take our freedom in the wrong directions, only focusing on ourselves and not creating friends and allies.
I think that freedom can be a wonderful thing, depending on the person who gets it. We are all very lucky to have the freedom that we have, but there are those who choose not to take it seriously. Like everyone else has said about this blog entry, many people take it for granted. In those cases, I get really angry knowing that people can damage something so important when they have so much. If you choose not to take responsibility of your own actions, your freedom will only get smaller. I also believe that not having so much freedom will only back fire in time. When someone is very limited to what they can do, they only want to do more, or break the rules. That is why I feel that having as much freedom as we do, can result in either a good or bad way, depending on the person..
25 comments:
I have never actually thought deeply in what freedom means to me. Free expression of beliefs, freedom of speech etc... would be my usual generic answers.
I currently live being free and was probably born free, because of that I think that I have taken freedom for granted. Since we are used to this, freedom might mean something different than "Legal Freedom" to us. We might have some of our own "Freedom Expectations" such as being allowed to stay outside for a certain time by our parents. Most of them are realistic to let parents/teachers etc... to let us have the freedom of something we want. Some however may call that privilege instead of freedom. Some of my friends used to complain about their "freedom", when I personally think its a privilege, so I think some may confuse privilege instead of freedom as I see it. Like I said, I take freedom for granted...
Now, If I back in time and a slave, I would obviously take freedom as... not being owned and forced around. If I were to experience all the horrors of being a slave, I would most definitely appreciate freedom a whole lot more than right now. I believe that the level of freedom expectation will vary on how that person was treated in his lifetime. Freedom to me would be the generic answers; the rest of the things that I am allowed to do are viewed as privileges to me.
You know Adam, you don't always have to use your ipod to put a comment on here...
I've never really thought about freedom that much. It's just another thing that we take for granted like electricty. It's just there and we don't give it a second thought. However, now that this subject is in the spotlight, I can now really think about what freedom means to me. My definition would probably be having the ability to do what you want when you want. This is probably too loose of a good definition, but it kind of says what I feel. I mean there's also freedom of speech, religion, beliefs, etc... We don't know how lucky we are to have some of the freedoms and privileges that we do now as opposed to when there was slavery, even though there are some cases still... It is sad though that freedom comes at a cost. There have been so many wars and other disputes around the world for freedom.
Of course there are, I guess, many types of freedom like the ones Adam mentions. "Leagal Freedom" and "Freedom Expectations". In court and law enforcement freedoms then there are the freedoms that we are allowed by parents and teachers, which I would agree with Adam, are more like privileges. For example, being able to go outside during lunch is a privilege that could easily be taken away by the teachers.
So I guess what freedom means to me is what I already think, and what others might think about it, everything else is a privilege.
I like what the two guys above me said about people taking freedom for granted. I mean, once you've had it for so long, you just don't stop to appreciate this, and I think the journals really make us stop and think about different issues. Personally, I believe freedom is all the ones listed in the First Amendment plus some other ones that others might see as a privilage, it all just depends on how you use it. I think anything in this world is okay to do as long as it is not abused. Simply put, freedom should be the right (not privilage) to do anything one wishes as long as it doesn't hurt another or invade another's freedom. But then again, where do we draw the line at "hurting?" I just like to analyze too much, I'm sorry.
For a society that has never had to experience life without their rights and freedoms, we obviously take them for granted. I think nowadays our constitutional rights have been severly diluted by federal and local laws. Even so, compared to countries whose government's basically control the lives of the people, we have still have it pretty good. Freedom to me means the right to make choices that invole based on your life and minimally effect the live's of others. This is almost 100% true in the U.S., with a few exceptions. Some might argue that it's those exceptions that maintain order in the world, even though that's not my opinion. I'm perfectly content living in the U.S. and I couldn't imagine living life any other way.
Freedom. Just like everyone else I haven’t really thought about what freedom means to me in depth. If I had to give a quick definition right now of what I think it means then I would have to say: Freedom is when somebody can do whatever they want without being told not to. The dictionary however says: Freedom is the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint. These are both good definitions but I think they would only work in certain cases. I think freedom is too complex of a word to really put a definition to. It would be easier to define if there was only one type of freedom but there’s not. There are different levels of freedom like being an adult you have a lot more choices then when you are a child. Also there are some jobs that allow more freedoms then others or someone could be talking about freedom on a country wide level. Small privileges as a child, for example curfew, could also be considered a type of freedom. This is just a small list of the many freedoms out there. I know that I didn’t really answer the question, I just talked about it, and the reason for that is simply, I don’t know. I don’t know because I haven’t been living long enough to really know for sure. Maybe if I read one of those 2,000 page books written on one idea or even one word, then I might be able to figure something to say. Until then I guess I will stick with my answer.
Freedom...what a precious gift. It seems so very small these days, but in reality it is a big thing. Once upon a time we didn't have all the freedom we each share today. Freedom in itself is very important to me. My freedom each day allows me to make my own choices. For example how I dress...in some countries women are forced to follow a strict set of rules.They do not have a mind of their very own. I could not picture following what someone told me to do (unless for good reason lol) or be treated as if I was not a human being but a piece of property. Also they are sometimes not even allowed to go to school because of their religion, husband, or government. Im very thankful/grateful to live in the U.S.A. because here I have the option to be who I want to be. I couldn't even begin to understand what those in other countries feel being ruled without their own freedom.
Freedom is a very important word.For me this word represents everything I have in my life. In particular my decisions, lifestyle,school opportunities, and being who I want to be. I couldn't imagine someone forcing things that I didn't agree with on me.Especially having my freedom taken away. In reality the sad thing is freedom in other countries isn't so great. Some countries don't allow women rights and have set standards to what people can and can't do. Hopefully someday that will change in other countries for the people. It would be extremely hard imagining not having freedom.For me its a hard concept to wrap around. I feel extrememly blessed to live in the U.S. and have my freedom.
I'm really not sure what I think about freedom. Freedom is obviously a privilage to us and like everyone else has been saying, takes it for granted. I even admit that I take it for granted too because I mean really, I haven't known any different and I'm just used to being able to say and do what I want. If I was ever put in a situation like Equiano I would probably go crazy and probably end up killing my self..haha hopefully not but maybe. I think that it would be really hard to go through what the African's did.
Ok, so I agree with what everyone else has said when it comes to how we all take freedom for granted. We have the bill of rights and everything, but when I really think about freedom, I don't think about being legaly free to do what I want. Freedom to me right now is being able to do what ever I want without having to worry about what everyone thinks and if they're judging me. A couple weeks ago I was at my grandparents and they live on a this farm in a tiny town. One day I went for a walk out into one of the pastures and after walking about a mile I just stopped and I sang as loud as I could. (If you didn't know it, I'm not a good singer at all.)Anyway, i just stood there and sang for almost an hour. I probably went through like 20 songs. But it was amazing and liberating because I was free. I could sing as loud and as bad as I wanted to and no one heard me (Except for some cows). If the grass wasn't so high I probably would have started dancing too.Just for the fun of it. To me that's what freedom is, knowing that you can do what ever you want to do or be whoever you want to be.
Alright, as everybody previously stated (because they probably read my mind), I've never really sat down and pondered about freedom. But now that I am (sitting down and pondering about freedom), I'm realizing that freedom really is very special to me. Also, freedom is a very broad term. In general, freedom as a nation and as an individual is often taken for granted. This is typically due to the fact that all of us have grown up with the freedoms that we have today (like Ben said). Not only is it obviously nice to have all of the luxuries we enjoy today, but we need to remember how we got all of this freedom. Our ancestors fought for our freedom. That, to me, makes it that much more special.
Freedom...this might me a hard topic for me cuz i havn't really thought bout it before...I think im jus so use to having freedom that i haven't taken the time to really stop and think bout it. I think that most ppl take it for granted like i do... and i no that i should probably pay more attention to the news and what is going on in our country...i think that our freedom is more important than we think and we need to not take it for granted...but try to help protect those freedoms so that we may stay free!!
Wow, this seems like a really easy question...and then I actually have to answer it...
To me, freedom is the knowledge that your personal thoughts and actions are protected from critism - if they are legal. So many Americans take this for granted, but there are so many people in the world that can only dream of this privilege. I am one of the Americans that take it for granted. I need to learn how to appreciate this wonderful right that I have been given. In our last journal post, I talked about how fighting for your beliefs is important. I feel the exact same way about fighting for freedom. Sometimes the fight is for an issue as small as being allowed to wear hoodies at school, but we fight because we want to continue to enjoy that freedom. Sometimes the fight is for a bigger cause (Revolutionary War, anyone?). Freedom is a wonderful privilege that comes in many different forms. I feel that it needs to be recognized and appreciated more, because once it's gone, our lives would become dramatically different.
Freedom to me means the gift of being able to do/say/act what/how I want, as long as it doesn't have potential to physically hurt anyone else. Or seriously emotionally scar them. I think we do take this gift for granted. I have no idea what it would be like to not be able to walk down the street and sing at the top of my lungs without getting in trouble. Or not being able to choose the classes I want because some higher power says I can't because of who I am. It's hard to even imagine because I have never been put in that situation. I pretty much agree with everyone else. It's hard to say "Yeah, I take my freedom for granted" because it's what's expected, but we have no idea how much we take it for granted, I think. It's a hard topic. We've never been without it, so how can we talk about how wonderful it is? It's all we've known. Not that I"m saying it's not fantastic, but I don't think we really know. Nor can we truly feel what people in other countries who have no freedom feel. We might think, "oh, that stinks for them," but how badly? Probably more than we would ever be able to imagine, even with all the news coverage about it.
Wow. That sounds generic. I wish this were an easier topic to take a side on. Not that it was easy to answer, but yeah.
freedom means that I can do the things I want to do (within limits I guess) and no one will tell me I cant do or think that particular thing. I see freedom as something that is really important because imagine if we had to live in a world or place where we couldnt express ourselves in the way we wanted to or forced to have a certain religion or whatever .....also americans dont know how amazing we have it the amount of opportunities that we get are so much more than other countries and the right for girls to go to school and be treated equally its all freedom with guide lines, but that also keeps order to something that could otherwise be crazy
First off, I, too, take freedom for granted, but when I think about stories like Equiano's from both slaves and people in general who are oppressed in other countries, it really makes me think about all the amazing things I have in my life. I am female, but I get to go to school(Yay?), express myself however I want, be whoever I want to be, etc. I'm reading Wuthering Heights right now, and although the people are free, everyone is basically under super strict rules about how to behave, and they can't express their opinions or personalities without people thinking they're crazy and then having some doctor come and drug them into a vegetable-like state that they consider normal human behavior.(If you haven't read the book, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about)((Just smile and nod))Anyway, freedom is my entire life, and now I can start to appreciate it.
Freedom really is what America is all about. I mean yes the government puts regulations on a few of our freedoms but in all reality, just as everyone else said, we have life a whole lot better then lots of countries in the world. I have no idea what I would do if I was put in the same situation as the Africans during the slave trade because I have never had to deal with anything like it. I know that I take my freedoms for granted just like pretty much every other American and I am pretty sure that if I did not have the freedoms that I have, I would definately go super crazy. So I guess that the U.S. is the perfect place for me at this point in time because it gives us plenty of rights compared to elsewhere. So I am pretty sure I'm just rehashing everything I have already said, I'm gonna go.
Well, just like eveyone else said, I have never really given much thought to what freedom means. I do believe that Americans take freedom for granted. We are all so used to doing pretty much whatever we want whenever we want as long as it is legal. We just expect to have it. Even though not having freedom is talked about in schools, i think that people have trouble grasping the concept of having someone else run your life. I guess that to me, freedom means that we are able to live our lives any way we want. We can be ourselves. We can all imagine what of would be like if we had no freedom, but only to a certain point. Unless we experience it first hand, we will never understand how awful not having freedom would be.
I totally agree with everyone else about freedom being taken for granted. As americans we have never really had to think about what freedom really is because we grew up with it.
To me freedom is the privilege to speak what is on your mind, believe what you want to believe, and be able to go where you want to go (there are many more, but you get the idea).
I personally do not think i could live in a country where i was not free. People need to be free to be themselves so that they can find out who they are!
Obviously freedom means a lot to me and all of us. I can't even imagine life without being able to do what i want to... talk freely, learn, vote, work, all of it. ALso I think that just by having freedom We're able to respect authority more. I view things a lot differenly when someone tells me to do something and I really have the choice, apposed to me being told I have to do something with no if's and's or but's. And it's also kinda like a peace thing to me too, because when we know we can make our own decisions there is less to rebel against. Some times i think we don't really realize how much of the world around us isn't free and how priviledged we are to be, and yet so many people get criticized for wanting to come here. I definetly know i would want to get out if i wasn't in a free country.I don't really always feel free tho because of a llittle problem called parents/dictators, but still. I dunno it's kinda cool thinking about all the stuff we really get to do.
Freedom means a lot of different things for me. Such as the freedom to stand up for my different beliefs. Equiano couldn't say anything or do anyhting that the sailors or his master didn't allow. If he did he would be beatened serverly. I think that in todays world we take to many of our freedoms for granted. I beleive that if people would look back in history at all the different freedoms people and races have had to fight for they would be amazed. Freedoms like the right of speech and women rights are a few example. Freedom means that I can do what I want. I realize that freedom does not mean the I can act or say anything I want. My freedoms also gives me the right to vote and voice my opinions.
Well, I'm sure I take freedom for granted, considering I've had it my entire life. But to me freedom is the right to do whatever I want, as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others. And as long as it doesn't kill them. Freedom is dressing the way you want, saying things other people may not like...but you can get away with it anyway. Freedom is choice, and unfortunately some people can't handle this freedom.
To me freedom is being able to believe whatever you want and then being able to express that beleif. It also means that i can live my life the way i want to and not being controlled by someone else. Its means this because living in America we have these rights and many more. Each person is entitled his or her opinion without having to worry about getting in trouble for having that opinion. No matter our race or gender were all human beings with feelings. Freedom is what keeps us going because its the chance to make something of yourself from your own actions and not someone elses.
Freedom means life. When you are stripped of your freedom how can you truly live? I think that people must live their lives to the fullest and this means being able to do what you want to some extent. Freedom means being able to make your own choices. If some is telling you what choices to make or what you have to choose, what gives them the right to decide what you can or can not do?So freedom is, in essence, being able to make decisions based on your wants and needs.
Freedom is incredibly important to me in the sense that you should be able to express your opinion on rules, changes, and beliefs. As Americans, we are extremely lucky that we have as many rights as we do, and since we have the upper hand, we should be extending it to others who can't speak for themselves. However, we sometimes take our freedom in the wrong directions, only focusing on ourselves and not creating friends and allies.
I think that freedom can be a wonderful thing, depending on the person who gets it. We are all very lucky to have the freedom that we have, but there are those who choose not to take it seriously. Like everyone else has said about this blog entry, many people take it for granted. In those cases, I get really angry knowing that people can damage something so important when they have so much. If you choose not to take responsibility of your own actions, your freedom will only get smaller. I also believe that not having so much freedom will only back fire in time. When someone is very limited to what they can do, they only want to do more, or break the rules. That is why I feel that having as much freedom as we do, can result in either a good or bad way, depending on the person..
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