What Does Freedom Mean Anymore?

It is worth remembering during this week divided by an Independence Day holiday that as Americans we are united by freedom, perhaps even as many freedoms as there are of us. That is both the ideal and the reality of America, that each one of us enjoys a freedom all our own, to defend through participation or allow abrogated through indifference.

The Declaration of Independence that we ostensibly honor this week with cookouts and fireworks displays was quite clear about this, about the influence that common men should have over their own lives. Two hundred and thirty-one years later this remains the true genius of America, that our freedom as citizens comes first from our belief in it.

But what does the common man actually believe about freedom today? Does freedom today mean the same thing as written and fought for over two centuries ago? And would our grave-bound founding fathers rest easy or roll over and die again knowing the answer? Never in its history since the first Independence Day has this country been more in need of debate over the meanings of freedom.