Freedom Day is an opportunity for Americans of all stripes to come together to celebrate the values we share, including freedom of speech, freedom of expression, religious freedom and freedom of exchange. Though we may sometimes differ in our interpretations of these concepts, we should celebrate the fact that we enjoy them to a greater extent than most people in the world and most people throughout human history.
Today is a day when we should talk with each other about what it means to live in a country that is mostly free, where men and women have opportunities for self-expression that many in the world don’t enjoy. Freedom means the opportunity to use one’s talents and abilities to pursue goals of one’s own choosing. It includes the freedom to associate and the freedom to be left alone. Many of our rights as Americans are enumerated in the Constitution. But that document is not the source of our rights. They come from a higher source. Governments are instituted to secure them, not to grant them.
Happy Freedom Day to all!
Learn more about #FreedomDay
- Visit the National Constitution Center’s Freedom Day Information Page
- Watch the 2017 Freedom Day Symposium Live
- Download the Freedom Day Debate Guide
- Download the Freedom Day Discussion Guide
- Follow the hashtag #FreedomDay on Social Media