What Price Freedom? Essay, Research Paper
No country allows as much personal freedoms like the United States of America. The Supreme Court has passed laws which allow more freedom of expression than ever before. By hearing this, you may think that everyone is happy in the U.S. Well, a lot are, but to gain these freedoms, there was once a price to pay. Several people have been beaten, verbally assaulted, and killed for others to gain freedom that they deserve. I ask: At what price should freedom come?
In December or 1965, in Des Moines, Iowa, a 15 year old girl and her brother wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The Principal then decided that no student should be allowed to do such demonstrations, and after a warning, he suspended anyone wearing the bands. Later that day both wearers of the bands were suspended until January. The 2 students too it to federal court where they said that they had the right to wear the bands under the First Amendment right. They ended up loosing because the armbands would “disturb school discipline”. About 4 years later, the decision was changed in favor of the students. Soon after, in the 1970’s, more and more court battles about the First Amendment appeared. Without the help of the 2 students getting suspended, the First Amendment may have still been limited.
Ever since dated history in the U.S. has begun, slavery had always gone on. Africans were forced to do the work and labor of the Americans. Black females were forced to do work in the kitchen such as cook and clean the house. Black men worked in the farm, picking cotton, and loading wagons with the crops. Slaves were often beaten by their owners and slave traders. Some were killed or mutilated for doing a “wrong” deed such as learning to read. If the slaves tried to escape from their home to the north, they would be beaten and brought back immediately. The blacks coming from Africa had to rights whatsoever. Slavery went on in the United States until the mid 1800’s. The Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued in 1863 made slavery illegal in all the states in the U.S. It took the hard work and determination that one day the blacks of America would be free. A severe price of freedom, but one that stands out and may be worth while.
In conclusion, freedom has a heavy price and does not come easy. People are abused for what they believe in, and many have taken a beating or lost their lives. People in America take their rights way to lightly. Simple things like not standing when “The Pledge Of Allegiance” comes on at a school, or horsing around while at a sports game while the National Anthem is playing. People don’t realize what they have until they look back and see the hard work that people put into getting their rights, and the rights of others. We need a little more respect in this country. It doesn’t take much to turn something bad around. It all can start now.