American Liberty

I have chosen this video as an expression of American freedom as this video demonstrates an American's right to happiness. In the US the issue of gay marriage is a controversial one, one that is quite often more criticised than the issue of gun control. The issues that the video addresses is how same-sex marriage is something that has been growing since the 1980s, when the issue was first touched upon on American TV. Many gay American's protested for the legalisation of gay marriage on the grounds that all men are born equal, as stated in the US constitution, therefore should not be denied the right to marry whomever they wish, subsequently, not being treated equally. It is interesting to note that same-sex marriage was legalised in 2013, which is significant because it just reiterates the idea that freedom and liberty are different. In this case, freedom is being able to love who you want, but liberty for this is granted by the government legalising gay marriage. This shows that your liberty is not something you can decide for yourself, but is something that is decided for you by a higher authority. In reading some of the comments on the video, it is evident that many Americans still disagree with people being gay, by using bible verses to justify their anti-gay views. However, this is not something that is valid in today's secular society, especially in the US where there is such a wide diversity of religions and cultures. 

One of the other aspects of American liberty expressed in this video is the freedom of speech. The video shows many demonstrations and equal rights protests taking place, which is evidence of freedom of speech being practised. This aspect of American liberty is quite significant, not only in this video but throughout the 20th century there are hundreds of examples of people being prosecuted for exercising their right to free speech. Examples include the civil rights movements that occurred throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s, along with the anti-war protests, and to this day, the protests for equal rights for women and homosexuals.