Responsibilities that go along with freedom in U.S.
Freedom (the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint) is something that Americans have fought and died for, along with billions of others, for centuries. Every generation has had its own related issues and narratives to support a self-serving or other-serving stance on this topic. Freedom remains a focal point in the U.S. and the larger world and can be viewed from multiple angles.
Historically, the term “freedom from” goes back a long way. In 1776, freedom from “Tyrany over these States” by the King of Great Britain became the battle cry of the founding fathers and led to American independence. In 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation meant freedom from slavery. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act declared freedom from discrimination based on “race, color, religion ... or national origin.” The Equal Rights Amendment, passed in 1972 but not yet fully ratified and enacted, means freedom from inequity and sexism in the workplace, along with the possibility of paid maternity leave. Today, House
Bill 5 has been introduced in our Congress. Passage would ensure freedom from discrimination, bias, exclusion, and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Freedom to” is the companion term to “freedom from” and is embedded in the Bill of Rights, a crucial addendum to the Constitution, which was written by James Madison in 1791 and now encompasses 27 amendments . ...
But with these freedoms come attendant responsibilities, and many questions. Regarding freedom of speech and the press, is anyone (including the President and other elected officials) allowed to lie, slander, and mislead in order to win over the public and gain or maintain power? ... Do pregnant women (and the men who had sex with them) have the right to end the life of their unborn children, or do they have the responsibility to protect and nurture that life or let someone else do so?
When my freedom intersects with someone else’s life and does some form of harm, must my actions be limited or prohibited? We have to take into account the common good. That’s why smoking is prohibited at indoor gathering places. Many are asserting their “medical right” to remain unvaccinated, but when those individuals put themselves and others at risk, including their family members, neighbors, co-workers, and fellow travelers, aren’t they overstepping the boundaries of freedom? When my students used to read and discuss William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, I always asked them to debate this question: “Are we primarily a nation of freedom or a nation of laws?” Most came to realize that we are both, partially because some Americans abuse the freedoms they possess and do a lot of harm to those around them.
In a recent New York Times essay by Tish Harrison Warren titled “The Limits of My Body, My Choice,” she eloquently states the case for a vital balance between choosing for ourselves and caring for those around us: “We have obligations to others, even obligations that we do not willingly choose. Our personal preferences and maximal autonomy must be set aside for the sake of loving our neighbor and for the common good.”