Why is freedom important?
Freedom is a condition in which people have the opportunity to speak, act and pursue happiness without unnecessary external restrictions. Freedom is important because it leads to enhanced expressions of creativity and original thought, increased productivity, and an overall high quality of life.
The idea of freedom is complex, and it must be redefined and defended anew by each generation. Moreover, the value of freedom can only be understood and appreciated by those who have a sense of the past and a highly developed understanding of human nature. All too often, people who live in freedom tend to ignore its fragility and take it for granted. Conversely, people who have not been raised within a long-standing tradition of freedom have trouble understanding and implementing it in their society.
There is no such thing as absolute freedom, especially within large political jurisdictions such as cities and countries. All freedom requires compromise between the rights of the individual and the goals and obligations of the state. As a result, there are many laws, regulations and judicial pronouncements regarding the ideals of freedom and the details of how it is to be practiced.
Around the world, many countries have adopted carefully written documents to define and protect their freedoms. In the United States, essential freedoms are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, a part of the U.S. Constitution. The most well known rights are the freedoms of religion, speech, the press, peaceable assembly, and petitioning the government.
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