FREEDOM IN USA

Introduction

            Many countries in the world enjoy the freedom and hence have the liberty to do whatever is right for them according to the constitution. It goes against the confinement or physical restraint that those without freedom undergo through. To be free is more of being exempted from external control, interferences, and regulation. The countries that enjoy freedom have the power to determine what they want to do without restraints from any external body. In terms of political perspective, it refers to the gaining of independence from a certain political superpower. However, political freedom can also refer to the positive exercise of social and the group rights. 

America got its freedom from Britain in 1776 through war that lasted for about eight years. Leaders of the American rebel groups fought against the British as a result of the restrictions placed on trade as well as the high taxation (Johnson, 2014). All humans have a desire of being free and are released from dominion over beliefs and cultures of others. The only major threat to freedom is the tendency of those in power to overuse it for their selfish means. Many countries in the world gained their freedom through war so that they could secure their interests and entrust the country to the local leaders.

            Freedom can be enjoyed in different areas since there are no restrictions on the things that people term as right to do. The fact that a country or state has freedom gives all the citizens the free will to decide on what to do and what to ignore. The common belief about freedom is that once people are given a lot of freedom, they tend to misuse it and hence the need for regulations that govern certain behavior. Human behavior is principally motivated by love and freedom, or by the pursuit of self-interests and power. Freedom provides a good environment for the self-interests and ambitions of different individuals to thrive. Freedom is associated with individuality by some people and law by others. The two extremes of freedom are individualism and social control. Individualism entails the liberty to do what pleases a person, and social control is all about the law. The two extremes of freedom interact in diverse ways.

            For people to be free, there have to be appropriate social conditions. The democratic conditions cannot maintain themselves automatically and also cannot be propagated mechanically in a constitution. A comprehensive analysis of the human nature shows that, when left to itself and freed from all the external pressures and influences, will not have democratic institutions that work effectively (Foner, n.d). Democracy is about the beliefs that should be prevailed by the humanistic culture.

            Every immigrant to USA has to identify with the freedom enjoyed in America. Americans enjoy the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, bearing arms, equal justice, owning property, and many others (Hartley, William, Vincent &William, 1974). Every person living in America has the right of practicing their religion of choice or no religion at all. The Congress cannot favor any of the religions or impose taxes for the citizens to support a particular religion. Therefore, there is no National Religion in America due to the freedom of religion. All citizens have the right of expressing their ideas and opinions and also listening to the thoughts and ideas of others without interference. They can express their thoughts about anything whether pleasing or annoying to them. However, it should not be used to injure others by talking falsely about others. Individuals can express feelings about the government and also criticizing certain actions of government and the officials. It is unlike in a dictatorial government where any negative compliments are liable for a prosecution. All Americans enjoy the freedom of also expressing their ideas and thoughts through writing known as freedom of the press. Anyone can read books, magazines, or any printed form that pleases them as well as writing the materials for others to read.

            All Americans enjoy the freedom of assembly such that they can hold meetings to discuss certain issues and also plan for future actions. The only requirement is ensuring that the meetings are peaceful. Another freedom enjoyed is that of the petition. People have the liberty to request the government to consider certain issues or disregard others. There can also be a proposition to change laws that are not pleasing to certain individuals. The freedom helps in the evaluation of the government policies through obtaining views from the citizens.

            Any person accused of a crime in US has the freedom to a fair hearing. All Americans have a guarantee of equal justice regardless of the position held in the society. Americans also enjoy the freedom of owning private property and no one can take it away from them unless under clear reasons. The government cannot also seize the land, money, and any other property belonging to an individual without a reason or payment if it must. The free economic system has its basis in the freedom to own property. There are very many other types of freedom enjoyed by Americans without limitations and restrictions. The citizens have the guarantee of the freedoms that are enshrined in the bill of rights.

            The government is the power that people establish for them to run their affairs. It serves many purposes and still makes the environment possible to live and work together. Freedom has a lot of significance to the American culture. The rights that people enjoy guide the way they perform their tasks and also relate with others. The freedom of religion brought both adverse and beneficial effects to the American culture since everyone can follow any religion of choice. There are many religions in America that affect the way schools are run due to diversity. Religious liberty and a successful religious culture are common defining attributes to the American culture. Religious congregations were very instrumental in bringing social reforms in the 17th to 20th centuries (Kennedy, 2013). About 90 percent of the Americans have a particular religious affiliation that is very active in providing social needs at home. Religion affects the way of life for most Americas hence very influential in shaping their culture (Marshall, 2010).

            Another effect of the freedom enjoyed in America is the emergence of many civil society groups that agitate for the rights of all citizens. Thus, every citizen feels secure and that they have a sense of identity. People can gather in pubic or in private places to discuss their issues without anyone interfering with their affairs. Therefore, freedom affects the way people share out their ideas and thoughts.

            The freedom enjoyed in USA helps to equalize all the people regardless of their races and ethnic backgrounds. As long as one is an American, they have the right to enjoy every freedom in the bill of rights. Lack of freedom affects the already marginalized minorities who face discrimination both in the developed and non-developing countries. The minority groups are able to communicate their ideas, views, worries, and their needs effectively. Freedom helps in enabling everyone to have active participation in the issues of the society for them to improve their circumstances (Herron, 2015).

            Freedom of association affects the American culture since everyone is free to form relationships with others without restrictions. Whenever people associate with others, there have to be a change of culture as each side tries to influence the other. It is a common practice that the most dominant culture takes precedence, but it still has influences from the other.

            The freedom of expression through dressing is very influential in the American culture. People have the right of putting on whatever that pleases them as long as they are comfortable in it. The trend has affected the way people relate to others since they only feel comfortable with certain types of attires. In addition, the fact that there is freedom of religion further affects the mode of dressing. Americans have many types of dress codes that follow their religious affiliations (Index, 2013).

            In America, there is freedom of forming relationships with people of choice as well as marrying. The freedom has affected the American culture in diverse ways. Some States have passed laws that seem contradictory to others as well as changing the culture. Marriage is no longer for the male and females as it used to be, but can also be practiced by same sexes according to the laws passed by some States. Therefore, freedom affects the culture that people are used to since if it were not for the freedom enjoyed; such issues could not be practiced.

            According to me, I like the freedom enjoyed in America. I find it very accommodative to all foreigners who immigrate to USA for either educational, business or any other purpose. It is easy to adapt to the American culture since no one dictates a specific culture to be followed by all. Due to the freedom of expression, religion, press, fair justice and the others; any alien to America easily identifies with a particular group of people who have similar character and cultures. American freedom is not as restrictive as that of other countries in which only the citizens can enjoy. As long as one is legally allowed to live in America, they have the right to enjoy most of the freedom enjoyed by the Native Americans. However, too much of freedom is dangerous since people have the control of everything despite the existing laws. It is very challenging at times to deal with the issues that arise due to the freedom allowed and enjoyed in America. Any alien who comes to US finds the type of freedom they enjoy is different from the one enjoyed in other countries.

Conclusion
            The freedom in USA is very helpful in equalizing people and also directing the way things are done. It is the basis for a democratic government where people have the right to perform their duties without interference. Freedom is good in shaping the culture of the people who enjoy it. The types of rights that people have enabled them to live comfortable lives. From my personal analysis of the freedom in USA, I find it good and easy to adopt as well as accommodating other people from other areas.

 References

Foner E. (n.d) Preserving American Freedom: The Contested History of American Freedom;        

Hartley, William H., Vincent, William S (1974) The Rights and Freedoms of Americans:   American Civics, NY, pp. 34ff; 

Herron, P. E. (2015). Slavery and Freedom in American State Constitutional Development:          Journal of Policy History, 27(2), 301-336. Doi: 10.1017/S0898030615000056

Index (2013) Why is access to freedom of expression important? 

Jenniffer A. Marshall (2010) Why does Religious matter? 

Johnson, P. M. (2014). Reinterpretations of Freedom and Emancipation, Civil Rights, and            Assimilation, and the Continued Struggle for Social and Political Change: Western     Journal of Black Studies, 38(3), 184-194.

Kennedy, K. (2013). The Dream Is Freedom: Pauli Murray and American Democratic Faith.         Peace & Change, 38(3), 364-366. DOI:10.1111/pech.12029

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in best nursing essay writers. If you need a similar paper you can place your order from custom nursing papers.