The Cost of Freedom

History has shown that freedom is not inherently a part of society, rather it is something fought hard for and won. When countries fight for freedom, when people rise for liberty, they do so because they feel they must. Whether it is a strict government, a deranged dictator, or a highly religious society, people have seen their freedoms limited to varying degrees. The United States has been built upon the idea that freedom should be a basic right. While the country has seen its fair share of battles, with itself and with outsiders, it has maintained this very ideal throughout its history.

What is freedom and liberty? Why is it so important that people would risk their lives to maintain certain freedoms? To begin analysis of these two words, I will present my own definition of freedom and liberty followed by how others define these two words. First and foremost, freedom to me means the right to speak, think, or act as wanted without restraint or interference. To be free in society means to have the ability to do things without oppressive restrictions and to decide how to live one's life.

Liberty is similar except, my definition of liberty is not so much a right, but a state of being. For me, it means the scope or power to act and do as one pleases. While absolute liberty and freedom cannot truly exist within society, it can to a lesser extent exist in relation to how one lives one's life. Going to the school of one's choice, buying foods one likes, dating a person regardless of race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs, these things can and do exist as freedoms and liberties within modern society. Unfortunately, there was and continues to be a high cost for such freedom, some of which continues to be a problem.

Many have noted the high cost of freedom throughout history. In an article by Senator Joe Balyeat, the article details what Americans had to go through in order to gain the freedoms and liberty that have now. The article starts with what freedom means and according to Balyeat, freedom means pursuing things he enjoys and practicing values which he holds dear. These values some may not agree with, and it is here where freedom tends to blur the line. This is because freedom for one person may be restriction for another. "And in fact, even before that occurs, my freedom has already been diminished the moment I stood silently by and acquiesced to the quashing of your liberty. The downhill slide from Freedom is a very slippery slope" (Balyeat, 2014).

This is what leads to the high cost of freedom because essentially it is to fight for individual freedom, freedom that may limit or restrict another person. Balyeat continues this point by explaining the American government provides 'freedom' to its citizens through coercion and without such coercion, what is considered freedom in America would not exist, supporting the notion that freedom is not free. "Government uses threat of law to extract taxes, to diminish property rights, and to coerce compliance with regulations. It can't function like free enterprise because it can't permit free choice to participate- the very premise of government is coercion" (Balyeat, 2014).

Going back to the definition of freedom and liberty, Franklin D. Roosevelt defined freedom in his famous Four Freedoms speech in 1941. From this speech, he proposed four essential freedoms each person in the world should enjoy. These are:

1. Freedom of worship
2. Freedom from want
3. Freedom of speech
4. Freedom from fear (Roosevelt, 2016).

This speech came at a crucial time for America as eleven months later, the United States would declare war on Japan. This was a crucial time for Americans as they had to fight not only for their freedom, but also the freedom of others, namely the Jewish people and those oppressed by Japan and Germany. Here, Roosevelt gave a basic definition of freedom that would then translate to a price from which the United States paid by going to war.

This war created the platform from which the United States government would end American neutrality and commence a long and arduous battle against oppressing and lethal forces (Edsitement, 2016). Although people expect freedom and the desire for freedom to be a natural course of action, it often is not as people and governments are afraid to pay the price for attempting to gain the freedom. With the United States preparing for war and then battling their enemies overseas, people saw the true cost of freedom through the horrors that the World War brought. For the American government to take a stand against injustice and to try to promote basic freedoms for all, this time period truly demonstrated what the pursuit of freedom is and what it entails, sacrifice.

The Four Freedoms were intended as an international ethical framework, on which "to base the restructuring of international relations after World War II. While FDR's "New Deal" was primarily a domestic program of reform intended to protect the weak and vulnerable in the United States, the Four Freedoms addressed a larger stage" (Felice, 2016). Roosevelt understood that national safety and financial success for the United States hinged on the formation of a supportive world system founded on moral ideologies. These ideologies are what both restrict and create freedoms for society. Such ideologies cannot be enforced without coercion, showing that even with pure intentions, freedom can never come without a price.

References

Balyeat, J. (2014). The Price of Freedom- It Isn't Free - Americans for Prosperity. Americans for Prosperity. Retrieved 19 August 2016, from https://americansforprosperity.org/price-of-freedom-isnt-free/

Edsitement,. (2016). FDR's "Four Freedoms" Speech: Freedom by the Fireside - EDSITEment.Edsitement.neh.gov. Retrieved 19 August 2016, from http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/fdrs-four-freedoms-speech-freedom-fireside

Felice, W. (2016). Introduction: A Study Guide To The Four Freedoms. Carnegiecouncil.org. Retrieved 18 August 2016, from http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/education/001/four_freedoms/5221.html.

Roosevelt, F. (2016). Four Freedoms. Wikipedia. Retrieved 20 August 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Freedoms