Personal Freedom In The United States Of America
...personal freedoms to
the degree of the United States of America. Within the last sixty years,
American courts, especially the Supreme Court, have developed a set of legal
doctrines that thoroughly protect all forms of the freedom of expression. When
it comes to evaluating the degree to which we take advantage of the opportunity
to express our opinions, some members of society may be guilty of violating the
bounds of the First Amendment by publicly offending others through obscenity or
racism. Americans have developed a distinct disposition toward the freedom of
expression throughout history.
The First Amendment clearly voices a great American respect toward the
freedom of religion. It also prevents the government from "abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Since the
early history of our country, the protection of basic freedoms has been of the
utmost importance to Americans.
In Langston Hughes' poem, "Freedom," he emphasizes the struggle to enjoy
the freedoms that he knows are rightfully his. He reflects the American desire
for freedom now when he says, "I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot
live on tomorrow's bread." He recognizes the need for freedom in its entirety
without compromise or fear.
I think Langston Hughes captures the essence of the American immigrants'
quest for freedom in his poem, "Freedom's Plow." He accurately describes
American's as arriving with nothing but dreams and building America with the
hopes of finding greater freedom or freedom for the first time. He depicts how
people of all backgrounds worked together for one cause: freedom.
I selected Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 as a fictitious example of the
evils of censorship in a world that is becoming illiterate....
View Full Essay
