Freedom

Hi Everyone,
Happy snow day! I was reading through both of the presidential speeches and noticed many similarities. I decided rather than comparing everything I would focus on one main topic - freedom. I know it isn't the most original topic to compare but I thought the word and meaning of freedom was the backbone to both speeches. Franklin D. Roosevelt opens his speech by saying, "In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms." Meaning that the United States is what is was that day because of freedoms that its people had. President Obama also mentions this idea by saying, “For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.” According to FDR, sixty-eight years ago, the United States was what it was because of the freedoms that humans had. Today, sixty-eight years later in a country that has drastic changes in human rights and innovation is still based on the idea that it has all happened from the freedoms that men and woman have.

In the closing of both FDR and President Obama’s speech the people of the United States are encouraged to embrace the freedoms they have. FDR says, “The nation has placed its destiny in the hands and heads and hearts of its millions of free men and women.” Obama’s similar words are, “…and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.” The future of free men and woman are what makes our country a better place. Both president’s give hope to the people of the United States and remind them that we got to where we are because of our people and we will continue to prosper because of what we can do with our freedoms.

I also felt that the Presidents didn't just give hope to the people of the United States but they also both mentioned the term "world." President Obama mentioned world wide problems and cultures more than FDR but both Presidents made sure to remind the people that not every place in the world is as fortunate as the United States. Back to their closings, the people of the US should use the freedoms they have to not only make our country a better place but to use what we have and know and be aware of the hardache that other nations face.