Law and Freedom Essay

The concept of freedom has been a highly debated topic since the creation of the constitution in the 1700’s. Freedom can be defined in many different ways. In each definition, one commonality is apparent. Everyone is seeking freedom although has it ever actually been obtained? Is it possible to reach a state of being completely free? Of course not. Being free means having no limits or restrictions. In our world today freedom is only an idea, an unreachable concept that is constantly being chased. Freedom is not a distinct idea. Its meaning to one person may be completely different to another. â€Å"The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.†, and â€Å"Exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.† are two definitions that are given for freedom at Dictionary.com. To me, freedom is the capability to express oneself. To be able to make choices on where you live, what books to read, what music to l isten to, and which religion to believe in. Freedom can also be referred to as free hand and opportunity. Free hand is the freedom to act and make decisions. That statement helped me define my concept of freedom. With the absence of the ability to make decisions and act in favor of your beliefs, freedom would not exist. Opportunity is a synonym for freedom, and without it freedom would be inexistent. When someone is restricted from living their own life, fulfilling their own dreams, and making their own decisions, they are not free. The components of freedom are democracy, constitution, and citizens. A democracy must be put into place so the opinion of the citizens is considered, as well as maintaining a peaceful state. Having a democracy will also assure that the majority will rule and the minority will be heard. The United States has had many proposed bills shut down because they have violated the rights guaranteed to the people by the constitution. This is why I believe that a constitution is one of the main components to freedom; one of its main purposes is protecting it. Without a constitution, citizens of our country would have such a frightening lack of rights. The final component necessary for freedom are the citizens. Without the citizens, there would not be a point of having a constitution because there wouldn’t be anyone to establish or fight for freedom. These components help me live my everyday life. The constitution sets out guidelines for the government and for the citizens. The constitution gives the citizens a right to be free and express themselves without any kind of judgment or consequence. These three parts of freedom allow society to express ideas, beliefs, values, and be happy. Freedom is not the inability to express personal beliefs and nor is it easy to obtain. Freedom does not exist in communist societies were a person has to watch what they say about the government. Many people feel differently about the meaning of freedom. Some may believe that they are in fact free. Others feel that complete freedom is inevitable. In my opinion, a free state would only cause chaos and possibly destruction. The free citizen has the ability to make opinions and act according to his or her own free will to achieve happiness. It is impossible to allow every citizen of a country to be free because they would eventually infringe on the freedoms of others. Freedom is a concept, an idea, it is not tangible, nor is it a reality.