Freedom in the United States

No other democratic society in the world permits 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...