Do we live in a Free Society?

Do we live in a Free Society?
Basic freedoms and rights have come to be considered fundamental to any individual courtesy of being alive. The principle of human rights and freedoms has a rich history. It draws from numerous struggles in the past that sought to highlight the fact that all humans are equal. The previous discrimination based mainly on race came to be crashed with the universal adoption of the slogan that all men were equal. There exist numerous rights that are legally granted to individuals by their various authorities. Despite the prevalence of individual freedoms, it is important to understand the invisible limits that are set aside by society.
However, every right demands some responsibilities from those enjoying them. It is common knowledge that one is entitled to their rights as long as they do not infringe the rights of other people in the society (Fanon, 2008). In essence, human rights often encounter some natural checks especially when they are in conflict with those of other individuals. Ideally, among the natural limits to freedoms and rights, very few of them come into play in everyday life. A person can enjoy all the possible freedoms that are worthy and substantial. It is, however, true that the freedoms are constantly checked by the social consensus in seeking to ensure that they are not at loggerheads with those of their neighbors. Humans are social animals that cannot possibly live in isolation. They, therefore, ought to observe self-restraint in avoiding the infringement on the rights of others in seeking social harmony.

In the most basic of the regulation on the freedoms and rights, we check our rights and freedoms ourselves. This is in an attempt to coexist with others in attempting to form a just and stable society.
The idea of a ‘free society’ has clearly come to be considered a fallacy by many people. Frantz Fanon has examined this same argument in his piece titled ‘Black Skin, White Masks.’ Fanon, like numerous other scholars, has chosen to explore the basis of freedoms in the context of racial prejudice. The black Americans, commonly referred to as ‘negroes’ have often cried foul of their rights being trampled upon by the majority white population (Fanon, 2008). Despite the fact that the rights of these blacks have been provided for in the constitution just like their white counterparts, most of these rights have been limited due to the numerous stereotypes that dictate how this minority population has come to be judged.
Fanon highlights a society that is still filled with a lot of stereotypes regarding the black minority. In his article, he explores the facts that dawn on individuals courtesy of being black. It is common to hear phrases such as ‘dirty nigger’, especially in the time context of the article (Fanon, 2008). The prejudice that exists in the society showcases that these minority blacks community is already struggling to acquire their freedom and liberty. Of course, there is not a law that exactly restricts such terms despite them being offensive and belittling. Moreover, even if there was a law barring such terms, the idea of discrimination would still be alive. In his article, the author explains to us how he had come to the world with a free will with the assumption that every man is equal. However, to his dismay, he discovered that he was just one object among many (Fanon, 2008). Fanon goes further to state that not only does the unjust society expect the black man to be black; he must also be inferior to the white counterparts. The black man has already been considered inferior in history. First of all, his customs have often been despised. This makes the society unable to understand why such an ‘inferior’ community should enjoy similar freedoms. The black man has been unable to maintain his traditions, especially those that are in conflict with the western civilization.
The concept of the ‘free society’ and free will is surprisingly slightly alive among the black community and in areas of pure minority settlement. However, when such a community is exposed to the white man’s environment, the various conflicts arise again. It is true that in a white dominated society, the black man encounters difficulties, especially in any slight attempt to develop his own schema. The blacks have often had to deal with the alienation from the society. In fact, Fanon explores the idea of the black man attempting to change his identity. He claims that the blacks have suffered the violation of their liberty because of being black to the extent that numerous laboratories have embarked on efforts to try and whiten the blacks so that they could not only fit into the society but also enjoy the same freedoms as the whites (Fanon, 2008).
Yancy has backed this same argument while drawing inferences from the same principles of the debate highlighted by Fanon (Yancy, 2013). Yancy starts by explaining the ease in which one can accuse the black man of crime. The historical stereotypes have ensured that the blacks are treated suspiciously to the extent that every crime is labeled against them. In fact, statistics have often shown that the number of crimes committed by blacks is equal to those committed by their white counterparts. It is quite confusing that the prisons and state penitentiaries in the United States are filled with blacks. This clearly highlights how the bias trickles down from the society to even the legal and administrative authorities. We have allowed ourselves to deny the black community equal freedoms and rights by virtue of them being considered a lesser race. W. E. B Dubois is central to the article done by Yancy in attempting to explore the issue of equality and human rights and freedoms. Dubois, then a radical activist of African liberty, is depicted as having lost one of his children due to racial discrimination. Interestingly, Dubois is happy that his son is dead. According to him, despite death being painful, it is better than being alive and having to ‘die every day’ from racial injustices. Dubois highlights the painful experience of living in the United States at a time marred with racial discrimination, a difficult time for the black minority community. Beauvoir’s argument addresses the differences between males and females in various societies. While the former is considered superior, they erode the ability of the latter to be recognized (Beauvoir, 2014). Beauvoir’s reiterates that women’s rights are limited by society simply because of gender discrimination.
The reality of the loss of Dubois’ son has sought to examine the freedom needs of the black community. The invisible limits to the freedoms and liberty have been clear in this context. That despite all individuals having the virtue to enjoy freedoms, in some cases, some of these freedoms are compromised due to discrimination within the society (Yancy, 2013). Further, the author brings to our attention the story of James Baldwin. In his letter to his nephew dated 1963, Baldwin explores the same issue of freedom deprivation based on race. Baldwin, aware of the painful suffering of the blacks, seeks to explain this to his nephew via mail. He explains to his nephew that, he experienced life as it is simply because he was black. Had he been of a different race, perhaps things would have turned out differently. He importantly stresses that his nephew faced limits to his ambitions which were majorly dictated by the fact that he was considered a minority and a ‘lesser race.’ According to him, the society had already decided that his nephew was a worthless being courtesy of being born to black parents.
The black skin makes an individual to be treated with a lot of suspicion. The black man in this context is degraded. The phrase ‘negro’ in itself came with numerous troubles. This meant that someone was already getting judged due to their color. More than half a decade on, despite numerous legislations providing for equal treatment of all races, the problem of racial discrimination and denial of rights is still alive. There has been no difference between the two times; only that people have silently hidden behind the idea that America provides for equality of all races (Yancy, 2013). The reality today is, however, quite sickening. Numerous decisions touching on black lives are often made by virtue of considering this race as being a less equal. A lot of cases handled in the legal system of the United States have sought to highlight this same reality. Delving further into Beauvoir’s sentiments, it is quite clear that feminism strives to bring about an equality of the sexes (Beauvoir, 2014).
These arguments show that the ideas of a free society are mostly fallacies. It is true that most legal systems the world over have keenly provided for equality and the rights of all individuals. However, these freedoms have not been protected as they should. As many societies have often compromised these freedoms due to many scenarios, there is a prevalence of invisible limits to individual freedoms. The society has often compromised on the principle of a ‘free society’ by advancing social prejudices and stereotypes. It is important to place the black community at the forefront in exploring racial discrimination in a white dominated society. The blacks have often been judged on the basis of their color and historical stereotypes that are still present in the American society. Yancy has explored the issue of stereotype and even claims that it is increasingly easy to accuse black men of most violent crimes (Yancy, 2013). This has recently been highlighted by the recent events that have seen innocent black men being brutally killed by police in what they believed was an armed resistance to arrest. All in all, the question of a ‘free society’ has been a contentious one. There has often been a conflict of interests in attempting to strike a balance between the various issues at play.
References
De Beauvoir, S. (2014). The second sex. Random House.
Fanon, F. (2008). Black skin, white masks. Grove Press.
Yancy, G. (2013). Trayvon Martin: When effortless grace is sacrificed on the altar of the image. Pursuing Trayvon Martin: Historical Contexts and Contemporary manifestations of racial dynamics, 237-250.