Student Essay on The Nature of Freedom

The Nature of Freedom by Orlando Patterson

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Essay

Like Jean Paul Sartre, I believe that a man or woman is free to "write the script" for his or her own life. A person is not bound by the rules of society. Modern times, is a relatively more free world, but there are still restrictions by society. However, even with restrictions, people such as the famous advocator of rights for blacks in America, Martin Luther King, still spoke his mind freely. Another example of people not bound by the restrictions of society is the popular rapper, Eminem.

Martin Luther King lived in a time where black people were considered inferior to the white people. Black people did not have equal rights compared to the white people. Blacks did not have the respect they deserved and the right to speak freely. Martin Luther King, however, choose to speak his mind. He spoke to the public about how everyone should be equal. He chose to be a leader and an advocator of freedom. The consequences of his actions were obvious, even to him. However, he had the freedom to choose what he wanted to do with his life, even under the restrictions of society.

Black people restricted the popular rapper, Eminem. He was resticted because of his skin color, because rapping was a "black mans sport." Eminem was discouraged by the crowed, who were all black. However, even discouraged by the crowd, Eminem did not want to live in the poor condition he grew up in. He chose to live a better life by rapping for living. Even though discouraged by many, Eminem today is one of the most popular rappers in the world. Surely, this shows that he was not bound by any force that inhibited his choice in life.

The lives of Martin Luther King and Eminem are only two examples that clearly illustrates the fact that people are not restricted by rules of society. Schooling, organized religion, discrimination, and other social restrictions do not restrict people. People have freedom to break rules and live the way they want. As a Chinese proverb says, "the sky is the limit."