Is America Truly The Land Of The Free?

America is the land of the free. This is the very first statement written in the meat of my children’s book American Patriotism. As simple as it sounds, this statement is extremely complex. Stickers can be found on the back of vehicles that state “Freedom isn’t free.” So, when an individual thinks of America being “the land of the free,” what does this truly mean? Are we truly free in the context that our founding fathers envisioned?

Many scholars believe our founding fathers envisioned America being the land of the free based off a very unique principle; free will. What this means is that men and women have the “free will” to choose based off their own morally driven social and cultural ideologies between right and wrong without any constraints. The oldest script depicting the truest and most pure sense of “free will” can be found in the Christian Bible. What is right for one person is not necessarily the same as what is right for another though making the concept even more complex.

So, does living in the land of the free truly mean we are free? Not necessarily. Living a life of total freedom is impossible. However, living within specified legal, moral, and ethical boundaries allows us to live a life of freedom to a specified degree.

There are two thoughts of freedom: freedom “to do” versus freedom “from.” In the United States, to a degree, individuals have both types of freedoms–“to do” and “from.” The freedom “to do” is much easier to understand because living in a free democratic republic; citizens are not fully controlled by the government. We have the freedom to work a job of our choosing, get advanced degrees, marry those we choose, etc. In the end, for the most part, Americans get to choose their “freedoms to do.”

Understanding “freedom from” is not nearly as clear. The concept may be clear but clarity to prove Americans have the “freedom from” is much more complex. African Americans have clearly witnessed first-hand accounts of persecution simply based off skin color. They clearly lacked “freedom from” until recently. Even today, many African Americans witness such one on one persecution. Interestingly enough though, so do other races to include Caucasians depending on the environment in which one resides. Skin color has not been the sole indicator demonstrating America’s complex “freedom from” situation. Sex too has been an ongoing issue. Women have not had the same rights as men until a relative short time ago. In many cases, women still are persecuted in one way or another just for being female. These thoughts of “freedom from” mostly stem within the persecution aspect. But ‘freedom from” is not just about persecution.

In the end, two types of freedoms exist–“Freedom from” and “Freedom to.” America is a growing nation and through time, we have witnessed both types of freedoms grow. Most people believe that history continuously evolves and “what comes around goes around.” This is mentioned because while many of our freedoms have grown and may be construed as continuously growing, some of our freedoms appear to be in jeopardy.

Christians cannot openly practice or display their religion in some countries such as Saudi Arabia. Historically, Americans have been allowed to openly practice their religion. Laws have been passed inside the United States to prevent the persecution of one person’s religious beliefs. Sadly, those laws have been circumvented today crippling religious tolerance. In fact, some communities across America will not tolerate decorations used to celebrate the Christmas holiday on individual person’s homes. But we still say that we are the “Land of the free.”

The phenomenon of truly living in the land of the free is obviously complex. In fact, it is fair to say that we are not the land of the free. Maybe we are just a nation of the “free’er” or “more free.” Even with this said, there is no question that the United States of America is the greatest nation on earth–for now.

While certain freedoms continue to grow inside the United States, it is apparent that others are possibly dying. How can we ensure our freedoms continue to strive? How can we ensure that our freedoms do not perish before us? Understanding our founding fathers thoughts on ensuring America to be the land of the free, what would they say about freedom in America today? Most importantly, if our founding fathers truly believed in a nation unified under “One God,” what would they think knowing our religious tolerance of yesterday can be construed as intolerant today?

This week is construed as the Holy Week for Christians around the world. Jesus died on the cross. Christians, Jews, Muslims, other religious believers and even non-believers understand, whether they agree or disagree, why Jesus presumably died on the cross–he died to atone for our sins. Jesus sacrificed himself for each and every human being. This sacrifice was the greatest gift for life. Many believe this sacrifice to be the foundation of free will. Needless to say, arguments can be made that even our founding fathers, many of whom were not very religious at all, believed in Jesus, his sacrifice, and the Christian principle behind free will.

Understanding our founding fathers and their trust in a supreme being could make an individual ponder whether our founding fathers own sacrifices were inspired by Jesus. They have stated that America is the land of the free. Maybe they meant that America is the land of the free in the sense that the bible teaches us free will. Never forget, virtually every historical document signed or created by our founding fathers states “In God We Trust.”

Arguments can be made that the United States is losing some of its freedoms, look around you. Are we losing our religious faiths as well? Free will coincides with the teachings of Jesus. If you don’t have Jesus, it’s very tough to truly have free will. Without free will, America can no longer be construed as the “Land of the free.”

Kerry Patton has served in the U.S. Defense and Justice departments, and as a contractor within the Homeland Security and State departments. He has worked in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, focusing on intelligence and security interviewing current and former terrorists, including members of the Taliban. He is the author of “Sociocultural Intelligence: The New Discipline of Intelligence Studies” and the children’s book “American Patriotism.”