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America’s Pursuit to Freedom
Introduction
The United States has long been associated with pursuing freedom, liberty, and citizens'
rights, as seen in its founding documents and the Revolutionary War. The idea of individual
freedom and equality for all people, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights has
been the stepping stone for the nation's founding documents. The United States has been viewed
through these ideals as inspiring and promoting hope for people and the nation. However,
attaining freedom and equality for all was not an easy and smooth journey but a challenging
experience that faced inconsistencies along the way. The war to promote women's rights,
immigrant's rights, civil rights, and LGBTQ+ rights has not been easy as it faced much
opposition from different areas of society. Both sides of the war have their advantages, which
will be discussed in the essay below.
Thesis Statement
: The United States has made significant progress in pursuing freedom
and equality in its country and globally, becoming a beacon of hope to most nations. Despite all
the progress the United States has made over the years, it has faced the reality of inequality
among people, social injustices, and the challenges of attaining freedom and equality among its
citizens.
Summary and Analysis of Film Clip: "Becoming Free"
The film clip "Becoming Free" delves into the theme of freedom concerning the context
of U.S. foreign policy from the 1970s to the 2000s. It portrays how the different presidents and
events have helped to attain the vision of the U.S., which is to have freedom worldwide. It has
also highlighted the U.S. has challenges in pursuing its vision. The film shows Nixon's
achievement in his effort to promote and improve relations by forging diplomatic connections
and negotiating the agreements of the army control between the Soviet Union and China. It also
shows his actions in promoting peace and freedom globally by supporting Israel during the Yom
Kippur War and mediating between Egypt and Israel in the Camp David Accords. However,
Nixon’s presidency came with domestic failures like the Watergate scandal, which tarnished his
image and led to his resignation. The film shows that Nixon's domestic downfall was through the
misuse of power and neglecting the rule of law, contradicting the essence of freedom and
democracy (
Becoming 00:00-05:00).
The film shows Carter's pursuit of peace in the Middle East, how he dedicated his work
to support human rights, and his attempts to make long-lasting peace agreements. However, his
support for the Iranian revolution later backfired on him when the Iranian militants captured the
U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking hostage 52 Americans for 444 days, reducing the U.S. image in
the area and creating an embarrassment in the whole nation. The hostage incident, as portrayed in
the film, caused an economic downfall, and the citizens began to doubt President Carter's
leadership (
Becoming 05:00- 10:00).
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On the other hand, Reagan's presidency caused a time of U.S. economic revival and
restoration of the citizen's morale, shown by how tough he was on the Soviet Union and
communism. The film shows that Reagan engaged with the Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev,
leading to an understanding and signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces that created a
discussion that helped stop the Cold War. The film also shows that Reagan faced challenges and
complications during his leadership, such as the impact of the AIDS pandemic and the bombing
of the US Marine Barracks in Lebanon (10:00-15:00).
Summary and Analysis of the Film Clip: “A Time for Justice”
The film 'A Time for Justice' portrays an intense and emotional discussion of the civil
rights movement, emphasizing the two-sided nature of freedom Black Americans face in their
fight for equality. The importance of the movements in the history of America is shown in the
film 'A Time of Justice from an emotional, social, and economic point of view. The film's main
topic is 'Freedom, ' which is shown differently by the movements.
Montgomery Bus Boycott(
Robinson 00:35), started by Rosa Parks' opposition leading to
the Supreme Court ruling on the separation of buses and the march for jobs and freedom in
Washington, is among the significant achievements that the film highlights. The guiding
principle of the movement was non-violence, which was seen emphasized in the film (
Robinson
11:10). The film shows how leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King fought to conduct peaceful
demonstrations, with the thought and belief that it was the best and moral way to seek for racial
justice and stop racial oppressions. The film brings into the picture some nonviolent ways the
movement used, such as the sit-ins (
Robinson 15:45), peaceful resistance against the public
separation, and the freedom rides (
Robinson 20:10), which tried to prevent travelling between
the states. All these nonviolent movements were conducted despite the brutal violence faced
during the movements.
Throughout the film, leaders like Dr Martin Luther King were praised for advocating for
nonviolent resistance and disobedience to the civil rules (
Robinson 13:45), remembering to
honour the ordinary courageous individuals who also participated in the movement. From the
film, it is seen that students, citizens, and activists also took part in the fight for justice without
minding their lives and freedom. This film shows how the quest for freedom, driven by
nonviolent leaders and courageous individuals, changed the nation for the better.
Pursuit of freedom on the topic People with Disabilities
Over the years, people with disabilities' freedom has been changing significantly, creating
a new environment with equal possibilities. In the past, people with disabilities were often
considered incomplete humans and were excluded from society without any support. In the
ancient days, people with disabilities were hidden and neglected since there were no
comprehensive systems to help people with disabilities, creating a society where people with
disabilities were discriminated against. However, the disability rights movement, which emerged
in the 20
th
century, with the help of the civil rights movement, helped to change the way people
with disabilities were seen in society, and it demanded equal rights and inclusion in society.
As history evolved from the Progressive era, when individuals with disabilities were
neglected in most societal reforms, significant changes have been observed through the passage
of acts like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which promoted the accessibility of
equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities. There have been different opportunities,
challenges, and problems during the progress. Despite legal movements such as the ADA
creating opportunities such as employment, access to the public, and participation of people with
disability, challenges like social stigmatization, discrimination, and poor attitude are still
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experienced by individuals. Issues such as healthcare inequalities, accessibility problems, and the
disparities experienced in the employment sector prevent the aims of the movements of
achieving equality for people with disabilities (
Ch. 1 Introduction - U.S. History).
More significant problems, such as natural disasters and emergencies, tend to affect
people with disabilities more than the rest of the citizens. Hence, there is a need to create
emergency planning and fast response to such events to handle the needs of these people in
society. Although society has significantly improved its aims to create an inclusive environment
for people with disabilities, such as advancing technologies that offer independence, there are
still some challenges. Pursuing freedom for all is complex and poses a big challenge.
Reflection and Application
The United States, as a beacon of hope for freedom, faces contradictions globally and
internally over civil rights. The contradiction it faces shows that achieving equality is a
challenging and challenging task. Although there have been significant improvements over the
years through the changes made in society and the implementation of essential laws, challenges
have been experienced, occasionally diverting the course of achieving equal rights. The U.S.'s
challenges make other countries question its reliability as a model of hope. Still, regardless, the
U.S. uses these challenges as a learning experience of what to do and what not to do.
The realization of both the improvements and difficulties the U.S. has faced in the
journey to achieve freedom and equal rights for all has helped me gain the experience needed to
guide other countries facing the same in achieving their goals. As the nation continues to fight
for freedom and equal rights internally, a guide is created to last the progress of promoting
freedom and equality globally. Hence, the challenges experienced in the movements are not a
lost cost as they show the complexities of achieving liberty and offer lessons for the world's
search for equality.
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Reference
Ch. 1 Introduction - U.S. History | OpenStax."
OpenStax
, openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/1-
introduction.
Robinson, Tom. "A Time for Justice."
YouTube
, 27
May
2020,
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=4gC9MzWjTac
.
Becoming Free.