‘FREEDOM IS UNIVERSAL’
MARIQUITA G. REYES
I find this as the best approximation of the reality of freedom. I chose to dwell more on this reality because it's the closest to my experience. I am free to do anything I want as a free person, as my pet dog is also free to instinctively follow its carnal desires. Thus, freedom really is universal in a sense that it affects all living beings. In connection with connaturally, the knowledge of freedom should result from an interaction between intellect and will. This means that to be able to arrive at true freedom, the power of the human intellect is needed. This makes us different from all other beings in the world which only generate their actions following the carnal desires that they experience. In conclusion, they are creatures with less freedom than the human person for they don't experience an interplay with their intellect and their will.
The underlying question here, however, is coming from my prison apostolate experience as an adviser in the community service program of our school. The presence of the women inmates made me think whether or not freedom really is universal. If freedom really is for everyone then why are these people robbed out of their God given freedom? Although for a fact I know that these women have sinned in the society and are under the sovereignty of the laws of the government, looking at them makes me think how absurd freedom is in the situation of a prison inmate. As a new perspective, I guess it is safe to say that freedom is beyond what is tangible. Freedom is mostly an activity of the mind - to be free is to be able to express one's freedom through the coherence of our thoughts with our deeds. In the end I believe freedom really is universal but it is limited in the sense that it is up to the individual if he chooses to use his mind in making and choosing moral decisions in life because from the very beginning God instilled us the free will. I don't want to sound judgmental but as I see it, it seemed that the women inmates had taken for granted their freedom. They abused their freedom and did not allow their intellect to interplay with their desires.
--oOo—
The author is Teacher II at Pampanga High School