Freedom
.
It is the desire of all people to be free. No man or woman wishes to be confined, restrained or
bonded.
The desire to free from slavery the African Americans came to a full eruption during the Great American Civil War. This war, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, was fought between the Northern States, who wanted to maintain national unity, and the Southern States, who wished to break free of the Union.
While the war didn't exactly start over the freedom of the oppressed blacks, it certainly became one of the biggest impacts of that war. President Abraham Lincoln has gone down in American history as one of the greatest American Presidents to ever live as a result of his fight to free the Black slaves.
Nelson Mandela opposed apartheid in South Africa and was jailed for thirty years because of it. In order to set his people free, he spoke steadfastly in his devotion to the freedom of his people, even after he was sentenced to life imprisonment and tortured. He was a man who never backed down...no way, no how.
His personal sacrifices paid off. His beloved country, South Africa, finally broke free of apartheid and now the Blacks enjoy the same rights as their White counterparts. The South African society is now based on meritocracy – they can do anything, achieve any goal. All people can now freely contest in public office and even run for President in general election, regardless of race, colour or religion.
Martin Luther King Jr. led a massive movement against discrimination throughout the 60's. To achieve his ideal state of a free America, where there would be no discrimination or unfair treatment, he delivered one of the most impassioned and famous speeches ever made in the history of the world - "I Have a Dream". He has ever since remained as an icon and beacon of the great civil rights movement. His assassination and the assassination of Robert Kennedy soon after, has left a hole in the heart of the world that may never fully heal.
The quest for freedom has indeed inspired many people to do extraordinary things. As long as mankind has ever existed, the desire to be free has always been one of the greatest driving forces behind major events that changed and transformed the world. Even Malaysia has a proud history of its people banding together to fight against foreign insurgents who would take our freedom away. We won our freedom, but many brave Malaysians paid the ultimate price for us to have it.
And yet I would like to add this – while it is a noble cause to pursue freedom, particularly for the larger good, it is not good if our rights to freedom, especially that of our own personal freedom, are abused.
Young people, especially, must understand that this world is not just about freedom. While today we are indeed blessed with many human rights, these rights MUST be respected. Abusing or taking for granted these precious human rights can result in irreversible tragedy.
Yes, while you may have the freedom to not pursue quality education, you do so at your own peril. If you cannot compete as a result of the lack of knowledge and expertise, then who else is to blame?
Yes, if you do not mind the summonses, then you might claim the 'freedom' to continue driving at the top speed of 200km per hour on the expressway. However, there is no guarantee that you will live to see the next World Cup.
Yes, while you may choose not to study hard and do not mind failing every single subject, you will only have yourself to blame when you cannot enter the tertiary institution of your dreams, or indeed, any tertiary institution at all.
Freedom is a beautiful and elegant gem, but we must NEVER take it for granted. We must exercise restraint and control when it comes to our own personal freedom.
Self discipline and an understanding of the do's and don'ts will help us to enjoy a life of health and true freedom and make the sacrifices of those before us all worth while.
And one day...Yes...One day...I too dream that we WILL be able to stand together, and hold hands and sing in one voice, even if that be in different tongues, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty! We are free at last!"
"Life is about constantly going beyond limits!"
- Erican Chong
It is the desire of all people to be free. No man or woman wishes to be confined, restrained or
bonded.The desire to free from slavery the African Americans came to a full eruption during the Great American Civil War. This war, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, was fought between the Northern States, who wanted to maintain national unity, and the Southern States, who wished to break free of the Union.
While the war didn't exactly start over the freedom of the oppressed blacks, it certainly became one of the biggest impacts of that war. President Abraham Lincoln has gone down in American history as one of the greatest American Presidents to ever live as a result of his fight to free the Black slaves.
Nelson Mandela opposed apartheid in South Africa and was jailed for thirty years because of it. In order to set his people free, he spoke steadfastly in his devotion to the freedom of his people, even after he was sentenced to life imprisonment and tortured. He was a man who never backed down...no way, no how.His personal sacrifices paid off. His beloved country, South Africa, finally broke free of apartheid and now the Blacks enjoy the same rights as their White counterparts. The South African society is now based on meritocracy – they can do anything, achieve any goal. All people can now freely contest in public office and even run for President in general election, regardless of race, colour or religion.
Martin Luther King Jr. led a massive movement against discrimination throughout the 60's. To achieve his ideal state of a free America, where there would be no discrimination or unfair treatment, he delivered one of the most impassioned and famous speeches ever made in the history of the world - "I Have a Dream". He has ever since remained as an icon and beacon of the great civil rights movement. His assassination and the assassination of Robert Kennedy soon after, has left a hole in the heart of the world that may never fully heal.
The quest for freedom has indeed inspired many people to do extraordinary things. As long as mankind has ever existed, the desire to be free has always been one of the greatest driving forces behind major events that changed and transformed the world. Even Malaysia has a proud history of its people banding together to fight against foreign insurgents who would take our freedom away. We won our freedom, but many brave Malaysians paid the ultimate price for us to have it.
And yet I would like to add this – while it is a noble cause to pursue freedom, particularly for the larger good, it is not good if our rights to freedom, especially that of our own personal freedom, are abused.
Young people, especially, must understand that this world is not just about freedom. While today we are indeed blessed with many human rights, these rights MUST be respected. Abusing or taking for granted these precious human rights can result in irreversible tragedy.
Yes, while you may have the freedom to not pursue quality education, you do so at your own peril. If you cannot compete as a result of the lack of knowledge and expertise, then who else is to blame?
Yes, if you do not mind the summonses, then you might claim the 'freedom' to continue driving at the top speed of 200km per hour on the expressway. However, there is no guarantee that you will live to see the next World Cup.
Yes, while you may choose not to study hard and do not mind failing every single subject, you will only have yourself to blame when you cannot enter the tertiary institution of your dreams, or indeed, any tertiary institution at all.
Freedom is a beautiful and elegant gem, but we must NEVER take it for granted. We must exercise restraint and control when it comes to our own personal freedom.
Self discipline and an understanding of the do's and don'ts will help us to enjoy a life of health and true freedom and make the sacrifices of those before us all worth while.
And one day...Yes...One day...I too dream that we WILL be able to stand together, and hold hands and sing in one voice, even if that be in different tongues, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty! We are free at last!"
"Life is about constantly going beyond limits!"
- Erican Chong
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
ReplyDeleteFlashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Truly said! For a quality and meaningful life, 'freedom' must go together with self-discipline and 'dream' with perservarance and sheer hard. Eric is an excellent example.
ReplyDeleteMr. Erican Chong, you are an excellent writer. Initially I thought you were only an excellent speaker. Your language is simple to understand and each of your articles inspiring. I truly admire you, Mr Chong. I am sure I will learn a lot from you in the years to come. I am currently teaching in a rural village. Some of my peers listened to your radio programme. Thank you for being the inspiration for all English teachers in Malaysia. Sue Chin
ReplyDeleteFreedom at last, free at last, malaysia will be free at last!
ReplyDeleteYes, what Mr. Chong says is true. There is no such thing as absolute freedom. Freedom always comes with responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteFreedom, from an existential perspective, cannot be separated from responsibility. Yet, it is common for many people to seek freedom while trying to avoid responsibility. While, at times, it appears that people may be able to succeed at this, there remains a psychological consequence. This consequence is often not very noticeable, but may find expression through guilt, anxiety, depression, or even anger.
Existential freedom is not the same things as freedom in the political sense In fact, political freedom could be view to be a rather shallow, though not unimportant, type of freedom. A person can be existentially free despite not being politically free, and a person can avoid embracing their existential freedom despite being offered great political freedoms.
Thank you for giving me the FREEDOM to share my two bits worth of opinion on freedom.