The Cost Of Freedom
Ever since our country was founded, people have been seeking freedom.
Other countries envy and sometimes even hate the United States because we
are a free and powerful nation. What is this cost of this freedom? The
answer that comes to my mind is war and everything, both good and bad,
that relates to war.
When European settlers came to the United States they hoped to find
freedom. They left England because the king would not allow them
freedom to practice the religion of their choice. Even after the settlers
set up colonies in the New World, the king still tried to control their
lives. The colonies grew tired of the king's control and eventually
declared their independence from England. This led to the Revolutionary
War. The colonists and their allies fought for freedom of religion and
speech, and for control of their own government What was the cost of this
freedom? Many soldiers gave their lives and many families were torn apart
But, as a result of all this fighting, the United States of America was
formed and the Constitution, which is still the basis of our government
today, was written.
Later in our history, freedom again became an issue among the states. This
time it
was freedom versus slavery. These two very different points of view tore
our country
apart. The northern states wanted to abolish slavery and the southern
states depended on
slaves to run their plantations. This disagreement among the states
eventually led to the Civil War. Americas were fighting against Americans.
Once again, many lives were lost
and families destroyed. But in the end, slavery was abolished and freedom
and equality for all people became the law of the land.
Many years later, as world leaders tried to take over free countries, the
United States was again called to defend the free world. In World War I and
World War II, many brave Americans fought and died on foreign soil defending
others' freedom_ Much of Europe is free today because of these American
soldiers.
Today we are still struggling to maintain freedom in the United States and
in the world. Terrorists, who hate everything the United States stand for,
including freedom, attacked our country on September 11, 2000. Thousands of
Americans lost their lives on this day. The United States reacted to this
terrorist attack by declaring a war on terrorism, which threatens all free
people in the world. Soldiers from the United States and from around the
world are fighting in Iraq to capture terrorist leaders and put an end to
all terrorist attacks. The United States will once again prove that
terrorism cannot threaten our democracy and freedom that we have fought so
hard and so
many
times to defend.
What is the cost of freedom? Often it is war, death and destruction.
However, throughout history these sufferings have been outweighed by the
good that they have produced. The United States and the rest of the free
world enjoy personal freedoms, equality among all men, and peaceful
existence because of the men and women who have fought in the name of
freedom.
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