I Blog Poetry and Prose

Independence

Istijlál (Majesty), 10 Rahmat (Mercy) 176 B.E. - Thursday, July 4, 2019

FORUM

30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS  (13+) WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus #1786069 by Heat Fivesixermiser

PROMPT: July 4th - Write about independence.

"With independence comes responsibility,
and with freedom comes even more responsibility!"
Author Unknown

The Cambridge Dictionary gives four definitions Independence two of which are (1) "freedom from being governed or ruled by another country" and (2) "the ability to live your life without being helped or influenced by other people".1 The other two definitions are similar to those above. The Cambridge Dictionary gives several definitions of freedom, one of which is concerned more with American History (see the Bill of Rights) than freedom itself. Freedom is defined as (1) "the condition or right of being able or allowed to do whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited" and (2) "Freedom is also the state of not being in prison or in the condition of slavery (= condition of being legally owned by someone else)."2

One of the problems in America today, is that people appear to confuse and even merge the definitions of independence and freedom. America's independence comes from the fact that we aren't governed by another country, but (traditionally) by ourselves, the citizens of America. No person in America or any other country is truly free because we are dependent upon each other rather than our own selves. This interdependence requires each individual in America to take responsibility for their own actions, so that they don't overstep the bonds that living in an independent country, with other human beings, requires.

Footnotes
1  https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/independence
2  https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/freedom