Are Americans Scared of Freedom?
Merriam-Webster defines freedom as “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action.” Other definitions include: “exemption from external control, interference, or regulation,” and “the power to determine action without restraint.”
We sing of freedom in our patriotic songs:
“Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” –The Star Spangled Banner
“My country, ’tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty, Of thee I sing;…From every mountain side Let Freedom ring.”—America, My Country Tis of Thee
“The red and white and starry blue Is freedom’s shield and hope.”—The Stars and Stripes Forever
But do we truly understand what freedom is? Do we truly want and seek freedom?
Talk of freedom, liberty and patriotism are rampant on Independence Day, but as July 4th gives way to July 5th, the talk seems to wane and is invariably replaced with political mongering. Despite this, it never occurred to me that Americans might not actually want, or truly understand, freedom. However, the question arose as I was riding down the road listening to the radio. A commentator on the local talk radio station commented that he believed, despite talk of freedom, Americans are actually secretly terrified of the idea. My reaction was ‘how preposterous!’ Nevertheless, I continued to hear him out. His argument was compelling.
If we take into account the dictionary definition of freedom, and apply it to all political situations, is America truly the “land of the free?” Do Americans “let freedom ring?”
In The American President, President Andrew Sheppard states:
“America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, ’cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can’t just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the “land of the free”.
Whether you liked the movie or not, you have to admit that his statement is true if you subscribe to the dictionary definition of freedom. Shepard’s take on freedom was that if you believed in freedom for yourself you must accept that others have the same right. Whether or not you agree with the opposing view of another, you accept and encourage his/her right to promote and exercise it. This is something our founding fathers both believed and encouraged.
The local commentator stated that freedom is scary to Americans and is evidenced in the way the two political parties behave. He indicated that while each political party talks of freedom, they each seek to control others. He cited the example of Democrats seeking freedom for those they consider minority or infringed groups but exerting constraints over businesses when they ask that the government require businesses to provide contraception to employees. He went on to say the same could be said of Republicans who want government to leave businesses and individuals alone, but seek to pass laws constraining gay marriage.
It is an interesting proposition that Americans might actually be scared of freedom. Is the commentator right? Are Americans scared of freedom? Are Americans simply ignorant of the true meaning? Does freedom have a limit? Has politics moved so far from the founding principles of our forefathers that the two-party system is eroding the fabric of freedom? Or is freedom still alive and well?
What do you think?
Image courtesy of AwakenCreativity.com.
