Why Do We Really Want To Be Free?

“The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” by H.L. Mencken. I do agree with what H.L. Mencken is saying that an average man does want to be safe but I would also have to disagree. People need to feel as if they are free at a certain extent. Countries tend to have cults and gang related violence. This is probably how dictatorship had come about and how other people would argue that as Americans , we don’t care much for our freedom.

The United States of America is defined as “ The land of The Free”. In this strong and well built nation we don’t have to worry about tyranny . Tyranny is what you would call a nation under cruel and oppressive government. The constitution guards against tyranny because we the people want our rights as well as a sturdy, fair and an equitable government. Madison stated, “ The challenge was to write a constitution that was strong enough to hold the people together without letting anyone person, or group,or branch, or level of government gain too much control,” (Background).

Tyranny is a monster; a dictatorship in full force, and one operation that can demise the greatness and the tenacious power of a country within months. But the United States of America, the country with the longest standing Constitution in history, disregards tyranny as impertinent, as George Washington had once said, “A free people ought not only to be armed, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which may include their own government.” The United States Constitution encompasses the fundamental laws and provides the guarantee of many basic rights to the citizens of the country. It establishes the national government of the United States. The document

Safety and freedom are both essential components of society and many argue over which component holds the most desirability in modern civilization. Many, like H.L. Mencken, believe that humanity’s desire to be safe trumps the want to be free. This view may hold true for some but there are varying interpretations of what is means to be safe and have freedoms.

The United States was not truly a “land of the free” during the period from colonial times to the Civil War. During this time, the United States was not in a good place concerning freedom. Slavery was a big and debated issue, the Dred Scott Decision caused much controversy, and made many people question their country’s freedom, and the American Revolution took place between the colonial times and the Civil War. These three huge events in history made people during that time question their independence, and it is still a widely wondered question today. Freedom will always be debated widely among the people of America, but it is obvious that the United States was not free during this time.

As American essayist and social critic H.L. Mencken wrote, “The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” To be free is to have the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without restraint. This type of freedom can be offered in many places whether it be home, school, or work. Safety is the condition of being protected from or unlikely to because risk, danger, or injury. Safety should be seen as an advantage to have because it’s never truly guaranteed. Most people claim they are proud of the freedoms their nations offer, though many people manifest the willingness to give up these freedoms to secure personal safety.

Since the founding of the United States of America, freedom has been the basis of the governmental and ruling systems in place. Individual freedoms are protected in both the Bill of Rights and the rest of the Constitution, and Schwartz (2009) explains that ‘public liberty ultimately enhances collective rationality—it is a path to heightening our wisdom by increasing access to pertinent information and improving decision making’ (p. 409). However, there have been many times in history when the true freedom of citizens is called into question. There has always been controversy about how much power the government should have, who is keeping the government in check, and if citizens are properly informed about what their elected governed are doing. The passing of the Patriot Act in 2001 was no exception to this controversy. The

What’s more important freedom or security? Without one or the other we as a nation would crumble from the mixed economy we are today, but how do you apply freedom and security to our nation without one overpowering the other? There are many solutions to this problem; however, our government has really left us with no choice. An article under the title “Does the Fourth Amendment Protect Us?” by Daniel Zwerdling, supports the detail of the government not giving us much of a choice whether freedom should even be considered in a new age of technology. It’s what protects us from the government spying on us (Zwerdling, 2013).

The U.S Constitution, famously known for establishing America’s national government and providing fundamental laws assuring citizens certain basic fundamental rights was a milestone in our countries beginning. In today’s society, especially with all the turmoil happening between people and governing bodies the rights which the Constitution provides is saving many Americans from being treated poorly or as most would say “unconstitutionally.” The Constitution is simply one of the most distinct and brilliant documents to ever see the light of day. Although some may have little to no knowledge of the Constitution, it

A man that goes by the name of “Paul Ryan” once stated, “We believe, as our founders did, that ‘the pursuit of happiness’ depends upon individual liberty; and individual liberty requires limited government’”. In fact, at the Constitutional Convention, in order to protect against giving the central government too much power, the delegates added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution in which these individual liberties are as stated in it . The Bill of Rights are the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution that guarantees legal and civil rights of the citizens. The Founders had high hopes of these individual liberties that were promised to the people. However, the government, which was supposed to have a limited power or say in this, has been attempting to compromise these liberties with sugar coated words such as they are doing this in the name of security or general welfare for the people by taking advantage of our desire for security.

What kind of “FREE” country will we be if the government takes our right but still uses it for their personal needs? “A February pew poll showed that 42% said that the Patriot Act was a necessary tool that helps the government find terrorist, while 34% says it goes too far and poses threats to civil liberties”. This is a weak statement. If only 8% more people think that security over rules privacy that does not make that big of a

Imagine someone living in a country that turns surveillance equipment on its own citizens to monitor their locations, behavior, and phone calls. Probably no one is willing to live in such place where privacy is being undermined by the authorities. For people living in the U.S., their private information has been more vulnerable than ever before because the government is able to use various kinds of surveillance equipment and technology to monitor and analyze their activities, conversations, and behaviors without their permission, in the name of homeland security. Mass surveillance has jeopardized people’s privacy and deprived individuals of their freedom, which is associated with dignity, trust, and autonomy. In the

Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, once said “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” In America’s society today, some are willing to sacrifice their civil liberties in order to gain protection and security over some potential threat. Especially after the events of September 11th and several attempted bombings in U.S. cities. This sacrifice of individual freedoms such as the freedom of speech, expression, the right to information, to new technologies, and so forth, for additional protection is more of a loss than a gain. Citizens of the United States deserve equal liberty and safety overall, as someone should not have to give up

Place yourself in the safety and comfort of your home, under the belief that “everyone has the right to the use and enjoyment of his property” (Department of International Law), searching, emailing, and talking about things that may be frowned upon by others. Now imagine the raw feelings of fear and deception that would wash over you upon seeing Edward Snowden’s statement on how “the U.S. government is destroying privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they 're secretly building.” You may initially feel betrayed, but Obama formally announced that the NSA acts solely in the name of safety right? Have we begun to sacrifice the freedom and

The freedom that our Founding Father fought for back then is now the key to being an American, to be an American is to have freedom. To ask why we fight is to ask why do leaves fall. It is in our nature as human being. A better question is why do we fight-- to protect, for freedom and for independent.