QUESTION

Week 8, Post 2: Respond to a classmate. How are your views similar and or different regarding
freedom? Include your personal thoughts and at least one example from the humanities to support
your opinion.
Your peer response should be written in paragraph form and be a minimum of 150 words.

ANSWER

Meaning of Freedom

I agree that freedom comes with the power to control things and situations in one's
life. I believe that freedom allows us to make our choices free of bias. For me, freedom is
being able to wake up in the morning, go to the gym, drive down the streets, and take my dog
for a walk without having to keep looking over my shoulders so that I might be arrested or
insulted by anyone because of my racial identity. Freedom, for me, is the power to think,
speak, and act independently without restraints and fear of enslavement or imprisonment.
People are created equal but different. Therefore, no one should live in fear or under the
validation of others. Freedom allows me to respect everyone else's rights, even though we are
different and have diverse perceptions, beliefs, traditions, and customs. I like that I can speak
freely in my own language, and no one will judge me. That is freedom for me.
However, the reality is that no one can be genuinely free, considering the socio-
economic and political imbalances that affect everyone. Freedom is costly, and sometimes
one has to pay for it. Those who can't afford it will always have to ask for permission before
doing something. Unfortunately, in a free country like the US, people are so consumed by
their individual freedoms and the quality of their lives that and have forgotten to care for each
other. True freedom will only be realized when we reach a point where the other person's
freedom does not threaten our own.
I also agree that freedom comes with some rules and constraints that we must abide
by. I must always respect and acknowledge other people's rights and should not use my
freedom to curtail theirs. These rules and restrictions are essential in a free society because
they allow people to live together in harmony. Otherwise, if everybody were allowed to
exercise their freedom irrespective of what their actions might do to others would be chaotic,
and society could easily slide into anarchy. Therefore, keeping the rules and controlling ourthoughts and actions is always essential. Freedom comes with responsibility, and for anyone
to be fully free, they must respect the freedom of others.