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Freedom- what is it to you?

Truereview

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Truereview Grand Master

+ Truereview

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I've been giving this concept some thought over the last few months, particularly since I joined this Forum. Being here has reminded me on a daily basis that freedom comes in all sorts of ways: freedom to assemble, freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom to bear arms or stand against it, freedom to be neutral or straddle the fence, freedom to be fiercely myself, etc.

 

I define freedom as my ability to opt in or out on my own pace, while being held fully accountable for said choices. I express that freedom in different ways, from choosing to hire whoever I want to choosing Red over White wine. :) So I'm curious, forum members:

How do you define your freedom and how do you express it on a daily basis?

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jjkrkwood Grand Master

jjkrkwood

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Freedom for me is embracing and being WHO I AM eventhough people often wish/want me to be someone else. Its the freedom to shove my fat old ass into a banana hammock and sunbathe in my yard, without an obstructed view. The ability to accept my AGE and really not give a fuck anymore what anyone thinks. Living in the freest country in the world still in 2016 isnt without its restrictions, but it affords us a much better life than we might have in other not so progressive countries /cultures.

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gezellig4u Rookie

gezellig4u

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The construct of "freedom" is relative, highly subjective, and, at least in the U.S., very clouded by the mythos of American Exceptionalism, which even many left-leaning Americans cling to with every fiber of their being. And, yes, I am a U.S. citizen by birth, as has been my family for a couple of generations back.

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bigvalboy Grand Master

bigvalboy

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And here I though you were gonna say Freedom to you is being able to wear "cornrows" ?

 

I used to think my boys were free, then I added up gas, dinner, drinks, club cover cost, more drinks, and a swing through Checkers for a quick burger and fries on the way home, and the shirt he found in the closet and asked to wear, but then never returned at the end of the evening, and suddenly I realized that my free date cost me about 500 dollars. :eek:...Pornhub.com just seems simpler. :D

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gezellig4u Rookie

gezellig4u

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I used to think my boys were free, then I added up gas, dinner, drinks, club cover cost, more drinks, and a swing through Checkers for a quick burger and fries on the way home, and the shirt he found in the closet and asked to wear, but then never returned at the end of the evening, and suddenly I realized that my free date cost me about 500 dollars. :eek:...Pornhub.com just seems simpler. :D

$500 sounds like a bargain to me. The little mister and I (legally married) will easily drop that or more on a night out here in civilization. Granted, dinner is not going to be whatever Checkers is... :D

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jjkrkwood Grand Master

jjkrkwood

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$500 sounds like a bargain to me. The little mister and I (legally married) will easily drop that or more on a night out here in civilization. Granted, dinner is not going to be whatever Checkers is... :D

 

 

Ooooh Mr gezel, you and the little mister are just too Grand for me ! :p

 

http://dc-cdn.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/dc-Cover-uevt10roh39nf30tvij3m7h4e6-20160601163633.Medi.jpeg

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AdamSmith Grand Master

AdamSmith

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and the shirt he found in the closet and asked to wear, but then never returned at the end of the evening

Mine was the kid who put on my Patagonia raincoat and I then walked him to the subway without even thinking I will never see him or it again. :rolleyes:

 

PS not a complaint! :D

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purplekow Grand Master

+ purplekow

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This...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUvVhWqXiWo

That's the sound of freedom!!

She does a great job. Brought a tear to my eye the first time I heard it. A very tough song to sing a cappella and it takes a soul with more self assurance than I have to sing out in public as she did.

 

Freedom might be better exemplified by someone in a similar location singing the national anthem of an unfriendly nation and having people accepting that.

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Truereview Grand Master

+ Truereview

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:::BUMP::: I hate bumping my own thread, but I thought it is a cool way to celebrate the 4th.

 

Just a gentle reminder this thread is in the lounge for a reason: My intent is to reflect & celebrate our own personal freedom - try not to politicize it & make it argumentative please? Although I guess that's freedom too? :)

 

Again, what are the little things you do that express your own freedom - no need to be profound or funny - just contribute!

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saminseattle Collaborator

+ saminseattle

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My intent is to reflect & celebrate our own personal freedom - try not to politicize it

 

Sorry about this, but I think it’s actually pretty hard to separate freedom from politics. Of course there are obvious examples of how communist and other totalitarian governments curtail people’s freedom of movement, religion, speech, ability to have children, etc. But I am more interested in the ways that liberal democracies restrict people’s freedoms of action and thought.

 

For example, I just watched the Citizenfour documentary recently. It suggests that freedom of expression may be significantly curtailed when governments engage in mass surveillance. While some argue there is nothing to fear if you have “nothing to hide,” psychological studies suggest that the mere fact of being watched results in people feeling less free to challenge existing social norms. This raises interesting issues in terms of how or even whether social changes may occur over time. Of course, most of us remember when the heterosexual social norm was so powerful that it was a crime to be gay. The dominant social attitudes against escorts and those who hire them are probably equally strong today. In a state with mass surveillance, will people feel free to fully express unpopular opinions in order to change social attitudes? As this article points out, suppression of people’s freedoms need not come from a forced hand, but simply watchful eyes. http://www.mintpressnews.com/MyMPN/snowden-freedom-speech-surveillance-state/

 

Still, freedom is relative, and we still have a lot of it in this country. I, for one, am very glad we are free to have this site.

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AdamSmith Grand Master

AdamSmith

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Freedom from having a boss!

 

(Except for the clients, who if you choose them right are usually a more consistently rational boss than a boss-boss.)

 

Granted, self-employment also comes with the danger of freedom from revenue :rolleyes: if you aren't always selling selling selling. But as Emerson said, nothing is got for nothing.

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