Equality and freedom
Freedom
Freedom is one of the most precious gifts that every human being
possesses, and today, more than in any other historical era, it is a
fundamental theme and value of human life that everyone must and should be at
the heart of all.
The word 'freedom' indicates the fact that a person can make personal choices without being forced, by another, to make an already determined one, and therefore not exercising free will.
Freedom is an essential human right. It is crucial in an
organised society, where man lives with his fellow human beings. Therefore, all
the freedoms of different individuals must be respected and guaranteed for
civilised coexistence in such a society. In our country, this right, like all
others, is guaranteed and enforced by the Constitution.
Being free does not mean living without rules,
because my freedom ends when someone else's begins. To be free, it is essential
to respect the rules of civil coexistence, but above all to respect one's
neighbour, trying to eliminate inequities. Even in the classroom or in a group
of friends there are rules, obviously unwritten, but which allow everyone to
coexist within the social group, to express themselves and to choose with
respect for others and their own.
Today, freedom, as we young people of Gen Z understand it, is a
concept taken for granted, almost made banal. We must realise that it is not a
gift, but that historically freedom, as a basic right, is the result of a long
process of conquest, full of obstacles, for which many have sacrificed their
lives. Just think of the events of the Italian Risorgimento, the Second World
War or the war that has been going on, for more than a year, between Ukraine
and Russia.
Why is it so important?
Freedom also means not being influenced by fashions, and not
'following the herd' so as not to become 'slaves', following what others would
like for us. Although it may not seem like it to us young people, this also
applies to advertising, influencers, social media in general. We must not be
afraid to express our opinions, to fight loudly for our ideals and values,
especially to stand up for those who cannot or need to, of course always with
education and mutual respect.
Equality
Equality as a political concept originated in the Athens of
ancient Greece, along with that of democracy, which had its foundations in the
equality of all citizens before the law, and the possibility for all to speak
in public assemblies.
In modernity, the principle of equality was enunciated by the
French Revolution, and then found in the liberal Constitutions of the 19th
century, and - in a broader sense - in the democratic Constitutions of the 20th
century and the International Declarations of Human Rights.
Equality has always been thought of as such
between men, particularly white men, and even now, although this perspective
has changed, a universal and equal vision has not yet been achieved. We are
overwhelmed by people who discriminate against others, or worse, and this is
precisely the opposite of equality.
All men and women are born equal, regardless of
family background, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and social class. We
are all equal before the law. Equality therefore implies equal dignity and
equal opportunities, without distinction due to, for example, political
opinion, nationality or wealth. In short, equality between men and women
concerns each and every one of us, regardless of the colour of our skin, eyes
or hair. The human race is one and only one, therefore it should be united.
But does all this correspond to reality? Or are we still far
from the true meaning of equality today? Are we young people aware of the
concept of equality and what it really means?
However, the principle of equality has not been established
peacefully throughout history. To take a well-known example, women's right to
vote came after a long battle, lasting more than a century. Even in Western
democracies, equal pay for men and women is still to be won in practice.
Ethnic, gender, linguistic, religious, etc. discrimination is outlawed in
democratic constitutions, but unfortunately, as today in 2023, it continues to
exist, especially using digital media, which is a dangerous medium, precisely
because of its ability to reach the entire world, and expand a misconception.
An example of the struggle for
equality and freedom that is seen all over the world
Marco
Mengoni, the Italian singer who represented our country at the last Eurovision
in Liverpool, was the only one to speak out on a major issue that is still
unresolved and ignored in Italy (and in many other countries, not only in
Europe). Mengoni entered proudly carrying two flags in parallel: the Italian
flag and the LGBTQA+ community flag. He reminded us that it is important to
keep everyone in mind, especially those who discriminate, that all people,
regardless of the gender they feel they belong to, their sexual orientation, or
any other minority, are equal and worthy of protection as human beings.
Each of
us, in our own way, must be able to become the person we are, with our human
profile and aptitudes different from those of others, with a personal path
traced according to our own choices of human values and life projects.
Each of
us has his own dignity as an original and creative human being: by virtue of
this dignity he is equal to all others. This means that equality between
persons is based on the value of dignity, which belongs to each person; we can
therefore say that we are all equal in our dignity, in the freedom of our
choices, in the exercise of our rights and duties.
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