The Unalienable Right of Man: Freedom

Freedom Fighters

I believe when freedom is abused, it is perilous. When freedom is misused, it clearly poses a dangerous situation for the oppressed. Women and children in the Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world face unnecessary hardships due to the violation of their God-given unalienable human rights. Oh, how depraved. As a person from Africa, a continent where some of the governments institute bestial laws that trouble innocent citizens and one who has since tasted the sweetness of the fruits of a free life, I am inclined to sympathize with fellow human beings whose freedoms are stolen. In some parts of Africa, especially the predominantly Muslim countries, freedom is a rare thing. Consequently, people who practice a faith other than Islam must endure an incredibly harsh life. For many in these places, life is not a synonym for joy rather it is a curse from God, a course without meaning. Ironically, religion, a belief that ought to give people hope, does a great harm to innocent people, specifically women and children. As a Christ-follower, I decry such harmful ideas as taking away a person’s freedom. It pains me to know that in a world of freedom, particular people are oppressed by power-consuming dictators.

Imagine a young thirteen-year-old boy in Uganda. Without his consent, he is presented with a rifle and expected to join a militant group that attempts to overthrow its own government. How despicable that we have come to such a low point as human beings; there is no longer immunity from evil acts that destroy others’ unalienable rights, according to Thomas Jefferson. Last summer, I went on a mission trip to Minnesota to coach elementary-age kids at a soccer camp. This trip gave me a glimpse of the lives of American kids and how they are treated in their homes. I compared their lives to those of kids on the African continent and realized the differences were worth noting. As I went about my own business, I realized how these blessed kids had it so well. Their parents brought them to camp with confidence. They knew that their little ones were under protection; that the right to freedom protected them every minute of their lives. On the other hand, I thought of the youngsters born in Africa. What if they were guaranteed safety and freedom? I could not imagine parents dropping their kids off at a soccer camp in Darfur or Khartoum. If it they did, it would have to be under protection by the police force, for such places are a bastion of unnecessary civil violence. Corrupt men have discarded the rights of others to exist freely, rights that, according to John Locke and Thomas Jefferson, are essential and cannot be taken away from an individual. My objective is to challenge every man and woman who has enjoyed the free fruits of liberty to remember what it means to have no freedom.