Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
George Orwell, 1984
We read about freedom, dream about freedom, celebrate the idea of freedom, advocate and hope for freedom, but what do we mean by freedom?
Freedom means many things to many people. Freedom can mean having the opportunity to vote for particular ideas or for people who best represent our views. Freedom can refer to the concept of freedom of speech: the ability to freely voice personal opinions or perspectives. Others may understand freedom in a financial context, where people seek to free themselves of financial debt, outstanding credit and burdensome loans.
But what does true freedom look like? Does it look like a voters ballot or someone walking out of prison? Is it seen in being able to buy anything a person wants or in owing anything to anyone?
Freedom is defined by Merriam Webster as the quality or state of being free, such as:
Freedom is more complicated than being able to do whatever we want. Taken too far, that approach would lead to dangerous anarchyevery person for themselves! Certainly freedom can mean the right to do, think, believe, speak, worship, gather, or act as one pleases, but only until your choices start to infringe on another persons freedoms.
Consider each of our freedoms as fitting into one of two categories: freedoms of and freedoms from. This point was made by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his State of the Union Address delivered on January 6, 1941:
We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.
The first is freedom of speech and expression everywhere in the world.
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way everywhere in the world.
The third is freedom from want which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitantseverywhere in the world.
The fourth is freedom from fear which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighboranywhere in the world.
That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt Delivers the State of the Union in 1941
In the same speech, Roosevelt said:
There is nothing mysterious about the foundations of a healthy and strong democracy. The basic things expected by our people of their political and economic systems are simple. They are:
These are the simple, basic things that must never be lost sight of in the turmoil and unbelievable complexity of our modern world. The strength of our economic and political systems is dependent upon the degree to which they fulfill these expectations.
In other words, if the nation loses its liberties, freedoms and opportunities, the nation shall be no more.
Securing freedom from fear and freedom from want almost always includes collective, organized action. That kind of activity is often carried out most effectively and efficiently (although, admittedly, not perfectly) by a governing body of some sort. If we want to live in a society where freedoms are protected and where the opportunity to exercise freedom is assured, we have to rely on some form of governance.
Section Objective: Students will define what freedom means to them and express an appreciation for and understanding of some of the freedoms and rights allotted to United States citizens.
Discussion Questions:
Citations / Further Exploration:The Four Freedoms Speech: https://www.facinghistory.org/universal-declaration-human-rights/four-freedoms-speechFreedom Definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freedom
Exercise: What Can You Do?
Subject(s): English, Theatre, History
Goals: Students will be able to:
Supplies: Paper, pens, pencils, markers, crayons
Set Up:
Discussion:What is required for a freedom or right to exist? What sort of society promotes freedoms? What sort of society can lead to a restriction of rights and freedoms?
Exercise: This is What Freedom Looks Like
Subject(s): English, Theatre, History
Goals: Students will be able to:
Supplies: Paper, pencil/pen/marker or white/chalk board, white board marker/chalk
Set Up:
Discussion:
Excerpt from:
Defining Freedom - Signature Theatre
- Free Download MP3 Album Sublime - Sublime To Freedom [Last Updated On: October 16th, 2010] [Originally Added On: October 16th, 2010]
- Braveheart In Defiance Of The English Tyranny! BRAVO [Last Updated On: April 2nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 2nd, 2011]
- rage against the machine - freedom [Last Updated On: April 3rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 3rd, 2011]
- Richie Havens, Freedom, (Woodstock) [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2011]
- Dodge Challenger Freedom Commercial [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Twelve Girls Band - Freedom [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Akon "Freedom" 2009 [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2011]
- Paul McCartney - Freedom (Nobel Peace Prize '2001) [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- Jimi Hendrix- Freedom [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2011]
- Braveheart freedom speech -- Matt [Last Updated On: June 3rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 3rd, 2011]
- freedom 101 [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2011]
- Dj Andi and Stella-Freedom(Summer Hit)+lyrics [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2011]
- Braveheart Freedom Short [Last Updated On: June 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 18th, 2011]
- LOVE PSYCHEDELICO - Freedom, featuring Christopher Yates [Last Updated On: June 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 24th, 2011]
- Alice Cooper - Freedom [Last Updated On: June 30th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 30th, 2011]
- "Freedom Rallies" Honored in Williamston — North Carolina Public Radio WUNC [Last Updated On: July 11th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 11th, 2011]
- Looking For Freedom - David Hasselhoff [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2011]
- Braveheart - FREEDOM scene [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2011]
- Amanda Knox: 'Another Day Closer to Freedom' [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2011]
- Sugababes - Freedom [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- Freedom River [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- Wham! - Freedom [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- Sistars - Freedom [Last Updated On: September 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 27th, 2011]
- All Stars - Freedom (Theme from Panther) [Last Updated On: September 28th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 28th, 2011]
- Richie Havens Sings "Freedom" [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- Nokia N8 Pink - Freedom [Last Updated On: October 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 8th, 2011]
- Wham! - Freedom with Lyrics [Last Updated On: October 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 12th, 2011]
- Make Mine Freedom (1948) - Video [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 13th, 2011]
- Jason Upton - Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2011]
- Devo - Freedom Of Choice (Video) - Video [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2011]
- Michael McDonald - Sweet Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2011]
- DJ BOBO - FREEDOM 1995 - Video [Last Updated On: October 21st, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 21st, 2011]
- George Michael FREEDOM '90 - Video [Last Updated On: October 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 24th, 2011]
- Episode One: Economic Freedom [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2011]
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- Alain Clark - For Freedom (Official Video) - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- Bob Sinclar [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2011]
- For Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: October 30th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 30th, 2011]
- Braveheart Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2011]
- Wyclef Jean - "Freedom" (Song For Egypt) - Video [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2011]
- Land And Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2011]
- Dan Balan - Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: November 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 9th, 2011]
- Paul McCartney-Freedom+Let It Be@Concert For New York City - Video [Last Updated On: November 14th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 14th, 2011]
- New Life Worship - It Was For Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: November 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 26th, 2011]
- Laboratory pups get first taste of freedom in US. - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- Jackson Browne Performs "I Am A Patriot" at Freedom Plaza (12.05.2012) HD - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- Give-Me-Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: December 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 8th, 2011]
- Jesus Culture - Freedom Reigns - Video [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2011]
- rage against the machine - Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2011]
- Doug Stanhope on Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: December 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 26th, 2011]
- The Beautiful Girls - Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2011]
- Michael Heart - "Freedom" - EXCLUSIVE OFFICIAL VIDEO - Video [Last Updated On: December 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 29th, 2011]
- Wham! - Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: December 31st, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 31st, 2011]
- Richie Havens 1969 Woodstock - Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: January 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 1st, 2012]
- Freedom ! - Video [Last Updated On: January 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 8th, 2012]
- Elton John- Philadelphia Freedom - Video [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2012]
- [M/V] ITAEWON FREEDOM (with JY Park) - Video [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2012]
- Pharoah Sanders "You Got To Have Freedom" (1980) - Video [Last Updated On: January 26th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 26th, 2012]
- Freedom Environmental Services, Inc. Signs Service Contracts With 14 Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q Franchisees [Last Updated On: January 28th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 28th, 2012]
- Pope's peace doves slow to taste freedom [Last Updated On: January 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 30th, 2012]
- Why is Feb. 1 designated as National Freedom Day? [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2012]
- Marcia G. Yerman: 'Chimes of Freedom' Celebrates the Power of Music and Activism [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2012]
- Complaints boss urges UK press freedom [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2012]
- New Freedom museum opens Saturday [Last Updated On: February 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 3rd, 2012]
- Underground Railroad Freedom Center battling tough times [Last Updated On: February 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 3rd, 2012]
- Freedom High School boys basketball team beats Easton Area High School [Last Updated On: February 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 3rd, 2012]
- Warship Freedom again breaks down at sea [Last Updated On: February 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 4th, 2012]
- Freedom gymnasts set school record, win Cedar Run title [Last Updated On: February 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 4th, 2012]
- Freedom tops FVL, takes hold of EVC [Last Updated On: February 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 4th, 2012]
- Freedom claims SMAC wrestling tourney title [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2012]
- Freedom Week In Bradley County [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2012]
- Freedom Total Knee(R) System Receives Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Award for "Product Differentiation Excellence ... [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2012]
- Covert to Overt: 'Revolt how-to' earns big for US freedom factory - Video [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2012]
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- Were Run by Ruthless, Freedom Hating, Dangerous Scum! 1/3 - Video [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2012]
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