American people are fortunate to live in a country where their freedoms are guaranteed in a constitution that has been enforced since 1788. Unfortunately, people all around the world are not as lucky to have freedoms we often take for granted. Americans must be grateful for what they have, as well as advocate freedom around the world.
We enjoy freedoms that millions of people could only hope to have. The First Amendment alone grants us the freedoms of religion, speech, press, and to peaceably assemble and petition the government. In countries around the world, people can be jailed or killed for opposing the government.
“[During the Egyptian Revolution] we were afraid our newspaper would be closed because we were with the rebels and said exactly what was happening and were insisting that Mubarak should leave,” Aliaa Hamed, journalist for the Shorouk Newspaper in Egypt, said.
In the Middle East, people in various countries are demanding human rights and freedom. These people do not have freedom, and in the 21st century they are just beginning to find the courage to fight for the freedoms that American citizens have had since 1778.
“The Revolution [in Egypt] really was about freedom and [the Egyptian people] really wanting more freedom, the kind of freedom we’re used to in the states: freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom to vote,” Elizabeth Colton, spokesperson for the United States embassy in Egypt, said.
Egyptian people fought for their freedom by peacefully protesting for 18 days, forcing their oppressive leader Hosni Mubarak to step down.
“They stood their ground for those 18 days and continued pressing for it in a non-violent way so what has happened in Egypt, this people’s revolution, is truly remarkable,” Colton said.
We are fortunate to live in a country that does not cover up mistakes it has made or prevent people from learning about events going on in our world. Knowledge is power, and we are very lucky to live in a country that supports freedom of information.
In Libya, peaceful protesters have been demanding freedom from a harsh dictator who has been in power for 42 years. The government wants to crush the revolt, and will use force, and even kill their own people to keep their dictator in power according to CNN.
Some have called this fight for freedom a civil war, as opposition forces continue to clash with pro-government forces. The number of casualties so far is unknown; however some are estimating the number to be in the thousands.
People should not fear their own government, which is supposed to protect its people. Although there have been occasions where force has been applied in American protests, the majority of people feel protected by our government.
Americans should feel blessed to have a military that protects its borders and vows to keep its people safe rather than a military that kills its own people to keep an oppressive leader in power.
“I say to my global issues students sometimes, ‘be happy that you live where you live, when you live, we’re very lucky,’” Libby Reimann, global issues teacher, said.
Americans must realize how truly lucky we are to enjoy the freedoms democracy brings us, and we should help spread these freedoms around the world. But while our nation preaches about the benefits of democracy, we do not support democracy as much as we should.
“Philosophically we like the idea of democracy, so when we get together with [other nations’] leaders we say, ‘You really should have democracy, you should respect human rights,’ but on the other hand, we want all the cheap stuff that China makes,” Reimann said.
China is a communist country that represses freedom and human rights, and the United States should condemn them, but we are too focused on saving money rather than spending the time fighting for freedom.
Our nation’s leaders have continued to ignore opportunities to advocate freedom and human rights.
Regarding the violence in Libya, the Obama administration has condemned the violence, but that is not enough. As a country that was founded because of the desire for freedom, we need to be doing much more to help these victims.
Although the Middle East is on the other side of the world, Americans can help. We can voice our opinions to government officials through letters and demand more action. Americans can also write the United Nations and urge them to help the people suffering from oppression.
“We hope that [the American people] can help us with [reaching the American levels of democracy and freedom] by using the freedom of expression that you have got and your votes to force your leadership to stand by our side,” Hamed said.
The American people often take freedom for granted because we are used to it and have not lived any other way. We need to appreciate how fortunate we are to have these freedoms, while helping people around the world obtain freedom.