What does Freedom mean to you?

Freedom is a human concept.

It’s actually a tough question.

Realistically, freedom infers the ability to do whatever one wants, without any constraints, or consequences.

America, is probably the closest thing to “free.” But, it really only gives freedom of speech, and religion. No one is really “free.”

Freedom to go out at night and not having to worry about getting gunned down by some drugged up redneck.
Freedom to not having to worry about getting fired willy nilly.
Freedom to go the doctor and not having to worry about getting bankrupted.
Here I am, enjoying my legally guaranteed paid vacation.

Freedom to:

Speak out against the government without fear of punishment.

Pursue whatever career or hobby I desire, assuming I am not harming others.

Live where I want.

Have privacy.

Come and go as I please,

Freedom to make choices: To choose when I’m going to go to bed, to choose when I’m going to wake up, to choose what to eat, to choose whether or not to take a vacation and when and where to go on vacation, to choose how to keep my house, to choose what car I’m going to drive, or whether or not to own a car, to choose who I’m going to be friends with and not be friends with, to choose how often I’m going to see and/or talk to those I’m friends with, freedom to choose where to work, freedom to choose what to say, how to vote, and yes, whether or not to have an abortion if I choose to go that route.

It’s a buzzword, a dog whistle, an emotion-manipulator.

Remember “freedom fries” and “freedom toast” back in 2003? Was that a protest against France for taking away someone’s freedom? No, although it was a protest against France, it was because the French Foreign Minister suggested that war with Iraq would be a bad idea. Uhh, “freedom”?

In the much ballyhooed Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers piously intoned the word “liberty”, then went home and ate dinner with their families, attended by slaves. Uhh, “liberty”?

Our prisons are increasingly run by corporations, whose job it is to make money, not to provide humane treatment to criminals. Our prisons are wildly overcrowded, and the poor and people of color are wildly overrepresented. The rich and the white are wildly underrepresented. So the “freedom” enjoyed by those with money is not the same as the “freedom” enjoyed by those without.

People with money are free to buy elections and politicians. People without money can go suck it. The police in every state get away with all kinds of civil rights violations and brutality, many of them doing it with full knowledge that they’re being recorded. That is, they know they can get away with it. People who have to be afraid of rogue police are not free.

Yeah, “freedom” means nothing. It’s a tool in the mouths of the cynical to manipulate the emotional.

Peace and luck

Financial stability= freedom.
Education and lifelong learning= freedom.
Good and sound health=freedom.
Spiritual enlightenment and resolved existential crisis= freedom.

Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Freedom is the ability to do as you want. Keep it in the scope of the law, and you get to keep it, which is interesting, since that would suggest freedom anywhere has limits. We are taught that some governments dictate what your career will be, so we have freedom and they don’t, but if I can’t shoot someone if I want, that certainly shows some restraint.

It’s one of those words where context is everything. There’s the freedom of the open road or the sigh of relief from your girlfriend when the spanx come off. But without question we are conditioned to associate the word with patriotic sentiments. The conditioning toward this end is so pervasive that the sought after reaction is for most of us reflexive. If you don’t believe it, ask an individual to shout the first word that comes to mind at the sight of this object. Then flash them a picture of the stars and stripes. The usefulness of such indoctrination should not be underestimated. Both the flag and the word are powerful devices in the substitution of emotions (symbols and slogans) for abstract thought, a necessary strategy in subverting the will of the individual to the supposed interests of the state. When the order is given to “kill em”, you don’t want to hear the question “but why?”

The pursuit of happiness in life without being manipulated nor ruled by mediocre and evil men.

@SaganRitual . You went much deeper than I did.

I agree with your assessment. In a way, money=freedom. The more money, the more freedom.
But money could also be considered power. The words are practically interchangeable.
Most powerful people, are at least rich, in whatever currency of their land…

When it comes to credit, power means that you can borrow even more money, power, and/or freedom.

@seawulf575 . Did you have a specific opinion, when you started the thread?

Places I would not feel free: Some other countries like North Korea, China or Russia; Jail; Hospital; Nursing home; being impoverished and/or living on public assistance; being on Parole or Probation.

It’s like the air you breathe. You aren’t really aware of it until you lose it.

^That’s another great answer.

A meaningless buzzword. Animals have freedom, we do not.

- practice my religion without fear of persecution
– speak publicly about beliefs and causes important to me, potentially against the government
– have unfettered access to information and education
– be able to contribute to my, my family’s, my community’s and my society’s betterment
– live and work in places of my choosing

The feeling that I can handle anything that comes my way.

@MrGrimm888 I did not have a specific opinion when I asked the question. I noticed the word has been thrown around a lot and thought I’d pulse the jellies to see what they thought it meant.

Running in short tights without underpants, exhilarating.

@seawulf575 . Thanks.

I would like the freedom to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public without fear that I would be attacked and possibly killed. I would like the freedom to kiss my boyfriend in public without the same fear. I would like the freedom to eat at a restaurant with my boyfriend without judgmental stares from other diners.

You and your boyfriend should hotfoot it to the redlands—America’s haven of tolerance and reasoned empathy.