What does freedom mean?

First place:

Freedom, Written By Stacy

When asked what freedom means, some people will simply say that it means watching TV when you want to. When people ask me that same question, my reply takes a lot longer to explain. To me, freedom means many different things.

It means being able to speak your mind. During WWII, while the Nazis were trying to annihilate the Jews, German citizens could not say anything that might sound like they were on friendly terms with a Jew or else they could wind up dead or in prison. In the U.S. today we do not have that problem. We are free to say what we please and have any conversation that we desire.

All of this is because our forefathers created The Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights says that Congress will not make a law that limits any American's choice of religion, their freedom to talk, or the press' freedom. I am a Christian. If we lived in a communist country, like China, and the law stated that everyone had to be a Muslim, then if someone saw me practicing things that a Christian would do, I might be killed. In the U.S. we do not have that problem. Many people immigrate to America every day so they can practice their own religion. In this country, reporters can print just about anything they want. For example, nowadays you can find newspapers, TV shows, and radio stations that criticize President Clinton. I appreciate the news that we get in the U.S. because I can learn what is happening to people in other states and form opinions on political issues. In WWII, the press in Germany couldn't say bad things about Hitler even if they wanted to. So instead, some of them complimented him!

So far I've been making the U.S.A. sound like it's the perfect place to live and nothing ever goes wrong. Unfortunately, we've had plenty of problems in this country. For one thing, women couldn't vote until Aug. 26, 1920. The women back then didn't particularly like being left out of political decision making so they started protesting. For years, Congress had been avoiding issues concerning women's rights, but when the first Congresswoman was elected, she brought up a bill to give women the right to vote. Finally, after some coaxing from President Wilson, Congress and the states passed an amendment to the Constitution that stated that a person?s sex can not stop them from voting. I was glad when I learned about the bill because then I knew that I would get to vote when I grow up and I wouldn't get shunned like women were before the 1920's.

Another problem in America's past is slavery. African-Americans were forced to be slaves to white people. Some were treated as badly as animals or worse. Their owners whipped them, and fed them horrible food. Most were denied an education, and they were not paid for the work that they did. Many of the white men from the Northern states were abolitionists and most of the white men from the Southern states were slave owners.

The United States split into North and South and fought against each other in what is known as the Civil War. The Northerners won and slavery was abolished. Segregation still goes on today and there are even groups of people like the KKK that can be violent and say that segregation is something that should still be in practice today. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "I have a dream, that my children will live in a world where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." We do not live a world like that yet, but we?re getting pretty close.

This is what freedom means to me. Not watching TV when you want to or getting to pick your own clothes, but the real issues and things that have happened in history. Many people put their lives on the line or died so that our country could have these freedoms and I am very grateful to them.


Runner-Up

Freedom, Written By Kevin

What is freedom? I mean what is it really? Is it the freedom to wear jeans to school? No of course not. Freedom is a much bigger picture. The four freedoms I would like to address and think are the most important are the freedoms of speech, the press, religion, and the freedom to vote no matter race or sex.

The first one I would like to address is the freedom of the press. Now the freedom of the press can come in many different forms. It can be in books, magazines, newspapers and television. This is important because the public needs to know what is going on in government, politics, and around the world.

The next freedom is the freedom of speech. This is definitely one of the most important freedoms. In this country if you don't like something you can protest and tell the government what you don't like. But in other countries like Russia and China you could be imprisoned or worse for doing this.

The next one I would like to talk about is the freedom of religion. This is very important because of how some religions have been treated over the years. The one that comes to mind first is the Jewish people. In WWII they were to be completely killed off in the holocaust but the Allies defeated the Nazis and the Jews were saved.

The final freedom to vote no matter race or sex. This is the most important freedom in my essay I think. It ultimately makes every man and woman equal because if you can't pick your leaders you basically have no freedom. But this freedom would not have been possible without the freedom of speech and two people. Martin Luther King Jr. for black rights and Susan B. Anthony for women's rights. If it were not for these two people women and blacks may not have made as much progress as they have.

I leave you now with what I think sums up my essay very well. I think freedom means the big picture not the little ones we have everyday as children but the big ones we will have to uphold and use in our generation and teach to generations to come.


Runner-Up

Freedom, Written by Whitney

There are many freedoms in this country, both personal and political. I think they are both of the same importance. My family, friends, opinions and ideas are supported by my personal freedom. And my right to vote when I am eighteen is a political freedom, even though I am a girl.

The most important freedom to me is being able to be myself and state my opinions and thoughts. I can choose my friends, not having it matter what color or religion they are. In fact, my best friend is as far away in religion from me as she can get, but that doesn't make me think badly of her. It's her FREEDOM of religion, speech, and ideas that make her so special. My opinion of the president may be good or bad, but if I do choose to criticize the president, I would not go to prison, such as in some countries. As I said, when I get older I will be able to vote, even though I am a girl. I will also be able to decide what I want to do with my life, whether I want to become a doctor or a teacher, or any other career I wish. I can do this because of the freedom the United States gives its people. I will be able to marry who I want and (most likely) not be criticized about it.

When my grandfather came to the United States a few years before WWII, he was two. His family left Germany because the Nazi government was taking over their business and belongings. They came here because they basically wanted freedom to make their own choices. If they hadn't left, they would have been forced out of their home, my grandfather could have died, and my family would never be what it is today. If they hadn't left, my grandfather probably wouldn't have had the same opportunities. He got a career he enjoyed and married a woman he loves. If they didn't come, who knows what would have happened?

There are also a lot of political freedoms. Some political freedoms include election of leaders, lack of a state religion, and the freedom of speech and press. Such as, instead of having a king and/or queen, we get to elect who ever we choose. We also have the freedom to worship the way we choose, whether that religion is Jewish or Christian or Catholic, it's our choice. We have the freedom to say what we want in speech or on paper. Also, the government does not control our lives, like in some countries. For example, in China couples are only allowed to have one child. In the United States, families can have as many children as they wish. There are many political freedoms in this vast country of life.

As anyone can see, there are an uncountable number of freedoms in this country, both political and personal. In my opinion, since I'm allowed to have one, this country has the best government I could think of. That is what freedom means to me.


Copyright 2000. Use of this material is prohibited without the consent of the authors. Inquiries may be forwarded to Sharon Trisler, Public Relations Coordinator for Noblesville Schools, at sharon_trisler@mail.nobl.k12.in.us.