BagongPinay - Pinay Ngayon (Filipina Today) 2002/ Freedom and Its Worth by Joann Natalia Aquino

Freedom and Its Worth:
"One Nation Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice For All" (?)
by Joann Natalia Aquino

"Freedom": Tagalog- kalayaan, kasarinlan, paglaya.
The condition of being free of restraints; the liberty of the person from slavery, detention, or oppression; the exemption from the arbitrary exercise of authority in the performance of a specific action; our civil liberty. The exemption from an unpleasant or onerous condition. The capacity to exercise choice, our free will. The right to unrestricted use, a full access. A right or the power to engage in certain actions without control, guidance, or interference.
Synonyms: independence, liberty, free will.

What is freedom?

Freedom means different things to different people. The areas of freedom and independence one strives for in their life differ according to the eye of the beholder.

A teenager might define freedom as the age they become independent from rules and direction from their parents. Freedom for another may be to leave an unhealthy abusive relationship they would like to be freed from. Freedom for someone in another country may be to have the liberty to write and speak without restraint about opinions and narratives they want others to hear. Freedom for a person in another nation may be to freely go to any church they wish to attend and worship God without fear. Freedom for an individual may simply be viewed as the ability to be genuinely being who they are and to express that self without the fear of misjudgment.

Countless notable deep-thinkers, realists and idealists, writers, artists, and politicians have deliberated the meaning of freedom throughout the course of history. Yet, each person came up with their own meaning. Freedom cannot be justified and defined fully, except through an analysis of the limitations on human action and its boundaries. Freedom can only be described by the means of the restrictions on freedom itself.

Many have acknowledged that we, in America, have the luxury to explore the freedom and basic human rights and civil liberties other nations does not intrinsically have. The U.S. Constitutions' Bill of Rights was created to protect the inherent rights people believed that, as human beings, were naturally theirs. The freedom and the rights that America's founders sought were not a quest for self-indulgence, but as an instrument in which people's serenity and unity, through these rights, could be ensured. These fundamental human rights we often take for granted are: the freedom of religion, speech, and assemble; the right to bear arms; the right to privacy and freedom from search and seizures; the right to due process and the freedom from double jeopardy; the right to a speedy and fair trial; the freedom from cruel and unusual punishment; and the powers retained by the people to live in a country known for its constitutional democracy.

What is the cost of freedom?

After 9-11, these basic human rights and civil liberties are all on the line and the ideals we valued, but often took for granted, are now questionable. This country's history is sated with the compliance to suspend our prized civil rights during times when our national security is also in question. What we must do in the midst of this chaos is to accord as a collective body and urge our leaders to preserve our rights even during the times of crisis.

Freedom and liberty goes hand in hand. Liberty expresses the idea of the right or the capacity of the person to do what they want. Freedom in contrast often encloses inbuilt restrictions. For the most part, a free society includes individuals who are free to live and do what they want to do, while respecting the freedom of others. Freedom is also the liberty of the individual united with the concern for the liberties of others.

What is freedom's worth to you? This was not a question that we used to ponder frequently, until now. A quote by T. Sowell described the concept of freedom's worth as, "Freedom refers to a social relationship among people. Freedom is reduced whenever a decision is made under threat of force, whether or not force actually materialized or is evident in retrospect." Thus far, if one closely analyzes the pieces of legislation in America right now, many will agree that our civil liberties and essential rights are now uncertain and undefined.

With my idealistic ways, I still envision unconditional freedom as the ultimate gift a nation can give its people. The freedom of religion, speech, and assemble; the right to bear arms; the right to privacy and freedom from search and seizures; the right to due process and the freedom from double jeopardy; the right to a speedy and fair trial; the freedom from cruel and unusual punishment; and the powers retained by the people to live in a country known for its constitutional democracy. Yes, the same vital rights that we have often taken for granted, as well as the central core that the spirit of this country is based upon.

As we ponder on what June 12th- Philippine Independence Day and July 4th- America's Independence Day means to us, let us, more now than ever, reflect on what freedom, independence, and our civil liberties' importance is to us and explore what it's certainly worth and its significance in our life.

There can be no free expression of soul without freedom of thought. We must not forget that each of us can be free from within. To do everything that you want to do, does not mean that you are truly free. Man is usually also bound by his desires, which contradicts true independence. To do all things with a passion and guided by the wisdom from above, is the absolute freedom.

To each of us who endlessly search and fight for freedom, although the days of triumph may sometimes appear to be bleak, our efforts and our spirit are enduring. You must know deep in your hearts that freedom and the search for liberty, does not have to be a struggle.

May we all find peace and freedom from within.

" Freedom does not come from outer circumstances but from inner liberation. Find your soul, unite with it, let it govern your life and you will be free. "
--Author Unknown

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To reach the author, please e-mail: joannnatalia@newfilipina.com , editor@newfilipina.com .