American Creed Essay

American Creed

The Bill of Rights gives Americans the freedom they need like the freedom of speech and the freedom to bear arms. Freedom allows people to believe and do what they want to do. Laws let one have a choice over what they want to do with that freedom without having their choices affect other people’s choices. Having freedom is an important part of being an American, but now the question arises, “Why is it important?” Freedom is an important part of being an American because it can help people become more open minded and help society progress further.

Freedom can connect people by helping them open their minds to different perspectives. In a TED Talk, John Gable mentions that, “Two very scary things happen when we have such narrow world views. First, we become more extreme in our beliefs. Second, we become less tolerant of anyone who’s different than we are.” John Gable is saying that people can listen to and understand different views that others have. This can only be possible with people having the freedom to choose what they want to do. Joe Maddon, in the American Creed documentary, mentions the practice of freedom of culture in the Hazleton Integration Project. However, instead of trying to get people to understand other ideas, his main goal is to have them connect with each other regardless of culture or ideas. When they start to have more of an open mind to other ideas or learning to accept them, society can progress in many different ways instead of progressing on one set of ideas.

Society progresses further and in more ways with freedom than without freedom. In the American Creed documentary, Joe Maddon says, “You want to make kids friends fast? Put them on the same team with the same common goal, and I promise you color of skin, language barriers, what you like to eat, that goes away just like that.” Society can’t progress if people don’t work together. Without freedom, progress becomes dependent on one idea or belief. When ideas and beliefs are forced into people, true bonds and teamwork are not possible. Having every accomplishment be based on a single idea makes it impossible to have different accomplishments that would be possible with different ideas.

Some might ask, “If we all acted on one belief, even if we were forced to, wouldn’t there be less hate in public and on the internet? Wouldn’t it also be efficient to have a society built on one set of ideas instead of trying to build a society to fit everyone’s beliefs?” Tommy Gunn in the NY Times article Empathize With Your Political Foe, states “Whether they disagree or agree with your message is irrelevant. It’s the fact that you have the right to have the message.” There might be less hate in America if people were forced to stick to one idea, but this freedom is what allows people to truly say what they believe in. Having America be built on one belief might be very efficient for progress, but this eliminates every other opportunity that would only be possible with different ideas. One belief might be better for faster progress, but different beliefs unlocks further potential in America.

Freedom is an important part of America because it helps society progress in many different ways by allowing people to open up to new ideas. Freedom allows everyone to act on what they truly believe and not on something they are forced to believe. Even though building society on one belief may seem better for progress, it eliminates all other possibilities from different ideas.