Freedom [free-duhm, noun]
- The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint
- exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
- the power to determine action without restraint
- political or national independence
That's just a tiny sample of the many definitions of freedom out there (for the record, those were taken from dictionary.com). But no matter how complicated dictionary makers make it sound, we all have some idea what freedom means: the right to do what we want to do, as long as it doesn't hurt other people or cut off their freedoms. This may sound simple, but it's an idea that's been fought for for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years - and it's only been a few decades ago that our country became truly free.
Some examples of your freedoms...
- You're free to say what you like (unless it's hate speech, or slander or libel).
- You're free to eat what you like (unless what you like to eat contains illegal narcotics).
- You're free to wear whatever you like (at least in your own home: at school you wear what the rules require, and not wearing clothes in public is not a good plan).
- You're free to believe in whatever religion or philosophy you'd like.
- You're free to vote for whoever you want to (as long as they're on the ballot).
