<p>Topic: Does freedom require eliminating restraints on behavior, or does it require creating and strengthening certain restraints?</p>
<pre><code>The word ‘freedom’ dates back to bloody histories, in which many people lost their lives fighting tyrants, by breaking down their restraints, in pursuit of what they thought would be the true meaning of a world filled with ‘freedom’ and ‘free-will’. But is freedom really about rupturing boundaries and constraints? People who free themselves from tyrants often find themselves facing new ones who encompass them with fortified boundaries that are just as menacing as the previous ones – the ones they supposedly broke free from. On the other hand, freedom also isn’t about hiding behind boundaries and confining yourself to restraints. I find that it is about the power of the freedom of thoughts.
In his book ‘The Book Thief’, Markus Zusak depicts the struggles of many people under Hitler’s reign during The Second World War. The Jews were forced to leave their homes and head to concentration camps. This caused much trouble. Many escaped as refugees, in hopes of finding somewhere safe – somewhere preferably far from the Nazi. A Jewish fist fighter, by the name of Max, managed to evade a certain camp in which he was imprisoned, only to head to a fate worse than death. He hid among the residents of Himmel Street in Molching, right under the nose of the Nazi. Despite living in a gloomy underground basement and sleeping with the thought that the Nazi might barge into his hideout any minute, he learned the true, hidden meaning of freedom. The regime of Hitler and his Nazi may have prevented him from ever having a glimpse of the sky, but it was powerless against the freedom of his thoughts that allowed him to envision himself living in peace.
An example that stands on a similar scale to the one formerly mentioned is the story of Solomon Northup. He was a black man, born free in the city of New York. Happily living with his wife and children, the least he expected was a kidnap. He was supposed to attend a legitimate business meeting in D.C, only to find that the promoters present there were here to kidnap him. Sold as a black slave, he was brought to his new and first master in New Orleans. There, he was forced to work on a lumber mill. Stripped away of his freedom and family, Northup faced hardships that scarred their way into his heart and changed his life forever. What made him persistent and unwilling to give up was the foreign power of freedom in thoughts. He couldn’t quite fathom why other workers on the mill defied their master, for the only thing that followed was hot scars on their backs that acted as a lesson. He bowed his head and did as he was told. But deep down, his heart still fluttered at the thought of freedom and the memories of his early life with his family. It was the only thing his master wasn’t capable of taking and the only thing that kept him sane until he discreetly forged a plan that helped him escape.
Freedom isn’t about breaking restraints for the sake of getting what you want, nor encompassing yourself with limits and boundaries. It’s about appreciating the freedom of your mind and soul, the articulate flow of your thoughts that bow to none but you.
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