Assignment:
Liberty and the Patriot Act
This is what I have so far. I just need four paragraphs. Two of which sums up the rest. Please help!
What is freedom? People usually relate freedom to equality. The United States is the land of the free, the home of the brave. Freedom is defined differently depending upon who you are asking. According to different cultures, freedom varies. Freedom is important to everyone. Freedom is the right to privacy, free speech, to vote, to a fair judicial system, and the right to be free from unreasonable searches. These rights are known as civil liberties. These civil liberties are what our members of the armed forces fight to protect. Religion and educational background could also affect one's idea America is a symbol of freedom throughout the world.
Many members of our armed forces have died defending these and other freedoms. Many of our ancestors have died defending freedoms as well. This is one reason why it could be said that freedom isn't free. The root of the word freedom suggests that it is. But because so many have died defending freedom, we know that freedom does have a cost. Also, freedom isn't absolute. Free speech doesn't mean that one is free to say whatever they want. For instance, you cannot yell bomb in a public place. Making false bomb threats carries heavy consequences. So, it can be concluded that freedom does carry limitations.
Simply put, freedom is the ability to say, act, and think what you want. This is, of course, within the limitations of the law. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term as "The state or fact of being free from servitude, constraint, inhibition." This would seem like there are no limitations. Freedom is not the absence of rules or restrictions but rather the freedom to live without being controlled. Undoubtedly, no one enjoys being controlled. Thus, people long to live without excessive restrictions. It's natural that laws must be followed, but without regulations, there would be chaos. In order to be free, one must submit to authority as well. Freedom involves obedience and not the nonexistence of boundaries.
Freedom is a right that everyone is granted in the United States. And most other countries. The constitution gives us the right to be free. Freedom has a different meaning to everyone. This makes it hard to define freedom in a clear and concise manner. When one looks up the definition of freedom words like independence, autonomy, privilege, sovereignty and immunity are used. Freedom grants certain privileges but in some countries dictators make choices for people. In the United States, we are free to make our own life choices.
According to Baker (2015), lawmakers are authorized to weigh the conflicting interests of security and freedom. Americans "want and need to be safe" (Baker, 2015). Freedom has a distinct relationship with the law. The fact that we have law enforcement and armed forces makes this ever more evident. According to Rosen (2011), "freedom's relationship to law is complex." This is because laws are in place to protect freedom but they also place restrictions on freedom as well. Without restrictions, America would be a very chaotic place. Freedom is, at best, a very difficult word to define. It's very complicated to define it in certain terms. Freedom can be interpreted in a number of ways because there are many freedoms available to people. Freedom is a very important part of American society.
America would be filled with fear if freedom did not exist. The government has implemented certain controls to ensure freedom is safeguarded. American citizens are free to enjoy freedoms that many countries do not have. Everyone wants freedom to do certain things and they also want freedom from certain things as well. Everyone enjoys freedom of speech as they enjoy freedom from invasion. Laws are in place to maximize and protect people's freedoms to and from certain things. We live in a society where we have to give up certain things to make America function. We sacrifice on a regular basis to maintain our freedoms.
References
Baker, P. (2015). In Debate Over Patriot Act, Lawmakers Weigh Risks vs. Liberty. New York Times Online. Retrieved December 16, 2016 from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/us/politics/in-debate-over-patriot-act-lawmakers-weigh-risks-vs-liberty.html?_r=0
Freedom Definition. Oxford English Dictionary Online. 3rd ed. Sept. 2011. Oxford UP. Web. 26 Sept. 2011.
Rosen, K. M. (2011). freedom. Alabama Law Review, 62(5), 1023. Retrieved from the TUI Library