“Freedom’s Just Another Word” depicts the depleted notion of freedom in our American society, in light of the presidential election. A mere 51 percent of all Americans eligible to vote did so in the last election. Why couldn’t we be more like Australia? They have a 90 percent voter-turnout, but then again it is mandatory there. We could always adapt the ways of the Aussies and simply require all eligible American citizens to vote or pay a 50 dollar fine if they fail to fulfill the requirement, but that would take away a liberty granted to the people.

But then again what does freedom mean in a society that has made it their excuse for things like not wearing a seat-belt or a helmet (when riding a motorcycle) or not voting when they should as responsible citizens? You probably have heard the phrase “you can’t make me do that, it’s a free country.” People hide behind those words to avoid things they don’t want to do, such as voting. Little do they know, freedom is more than getting to do what you want when you want to.

The fact, in short, is that freedom, to be meaningful in an organized society must consist of an amalgam of hierarchy of freedoms and restraints.
-Samuel Hendel

If people simply disregard restraints both established in law and those that are implied, freedom does not exist because rules do not either. Therefore freedom has unfortunately become any other word in the dictionary as well as any other lame excuse in the book.