Freedom is Overrated, American_History, College Term Papers.com


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Back to Subjects - American History

Freedom is Overrated

Freedom is Overrated The word freedom can technically be defined as the quality or state of being free. However, this definition leaves enormous room for every interpretation imaginable. I live in the “land of the free”, also known as America. But every country, free or not, has its obvious restrictions, such as laws, society, and government. Someone’s age, race, sex, height, or weight can restrict people in society. In my personal opinion, nothing is truly or completely free. To be free no definite barriers can exist physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Most people tend to think of birds when referring to freedom, even more specifically the eagle. Coincidentally, the eagle is the symbol for freedom in America. Eagles fly in the sky, and the sky has no barriers or restrictions existing to the human eye. I believe this is why people think of eagles as images to represent freedom. However, are birds truly free? Birds can not fly without the worry of being killed by a shotgun. Birds do not control their own habitat. If someone wants to chop down a bird’s home, the bird can not stop the person. In closure, birds are not completely free. In the movie, Hurricane, most of Rubin Carter’s life was based upon the judgments people plagued upon him, distinctly because of his race. Rubin had to free his mind in order to grasp and hold onto the little freedom he had in prison. Carter overcame his mind by blocking out distinct hallucinations of the violent and sensitive sides of his personality. But still Rubin Cater was not free. He almost gave up on his life if it was not for his friends in Canada. Those friends in Canada were the critical factor for Rubin Carter’s release from jail. Society and government withhold people from reaching infinite freedom. This is just a plain fact and almost self-explanatory. People in society are not free wherever they go. Society afflicts this description on how people should act, or how people should talk. Society even insists on controlling our thoughts. The United States’ government gives people the right to vote. But is it the popular vote the determining factor in deciding the future president? I think not. Freedom can not be achieved in a world where society and government decides what people should do. “Our biggest fear is taking the risk to express who we really are,” which is a quote from Don Ruiz in the Four Agreements. The Four Agreements state that our values were chosen for us. Our freedom is, basically, taken away from us as soon as we open our eyes. Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; freedom is something people can take, and people are as free as they want to be. I realized this after hearing the book, The Children’s Hour. The children did not understand the importance of freedom and how one must strive for this unobtainable goal. People can brainwash and take away freedom anytime. My own interpretation of freedom is having no restrictions or barriers of any kind surrounding anyone or anything. True freedom can not be reached; it is impossible to be completely free. I believe people can strive for more freedom, but to be absolutely free is unrealistic. What is the price of freedom and the value of truth? Do these impel us all to bring our lives our beliefs, our way of life and how we see things, under the complete seeing perception of our own reflections in the mirror? Or will wanting true freedom eventually slave ourselves into becoming prisoners of our own minds? Wanting freedom can be powerful but meaningless without plagued beliefs and rights. Complete freedom even in an idealistic society is unimaginable and unpractical. Bibliography:

Word Count: 625