AMERICAN FREEDOM OR THE LACK THEREOF…?

When one thinks of the United States of America, one thinks of the land of freedom, as it is a typical stereotype around the world. In my humble opinion though, it is one of the biggest misconceptions about the US…
 
As a European, I am prone to notice certain things your average American will most likely miss, such as a simple and basic freedom of speech, for instance. Is it freedom of speech if I cannot say publicly something as trivial as “Merry Christmas”? Is it freedom if one cannot use whatever images one desires in an ad or billboard? And where is that famous American freedom if one is restricted in nearly every aspect of life?

Of course, any American (or perhaps I should say most Americans, as the ones that have gotten a chance to leave the country and experience the world, tend to have a different view on such things) would fiercely disagree with me here. When I am exposed to an American way of thinking, I get the impression that they are all brought up in this proud conviction that the US is the eighth wonder of the world. However, my experience while I lived in this “wonderful” country is somewhat contrary… Then again, I am a European so I am bound to see things differently.

I must admit that I felt quite constrained most of the time. The idea that I cannot say nor do certain things, was quite alien to me (and I come from a former communist country! That should tell you something…). It was uncomfortable, in the least, not to know how to behave in most situations. The whole idea of watching myself not to, for instance, say anything offensive to anyone was really foreign to every grain in my being and it made me feel like the freedom to decide was taken away from me.

So here you are with this “free” country where you have censorship and restrictions in many areas of life while in Europe, you say and do what you want without the governments watching over your shoulder. But the Americans think we are the ones that lack certain freedoms. Go figure…