The United States history is embedded in the flag. The fifty stars couldn’t fill the flag's blue upper corner without the thirteen red and white stripes below them. Riots, conventions, and a revolution turned this country from colonists to Americans. The bravery, the mistakes, and the unrelenting nature of the nation’s ancestors created the country known and loved by its inhabitants. What they did to forge the future has earned them a permanent spot on the American flag.  

I believe holding on to and understanding the nation’s history in order to avoid repeating past mistakes while simultaneously finding inspiration in the actions of those before us is what freedom means. The flag billows and waves in our classrooms, stadiums, and homes to remind citizens of what was given up to be where we are now—in a liberated, democratized country. 

Many argue the Unites States’ participation in the Vietnam War was a mistake or that the terrorist plane that ripped through the Twin Towers and the heart of the nation should’ve been spotted earlier, but with each obstacle, Americans learn. After the horrible treatment of Vietnamese soldiers who made it home from war, events like the Honor Flight, where veterans get a tour of national landmarks and are showered with gifts and love when they return home, were created. Similarly, after 9/11 airplane security improved exponentially with the inspection of passengers and baggage, locked cockpit doors, and stricter limits on items that can be packed. These are examples of change that, today, Americans can’t imagine living without. However, to make these improvements, tragedy struck. 

Freedom is the right to disagree with each other without losing respect for one another. Freedom is the right to pursue your dreams. Freedom is the ability to challenge the norms. In total, freedom and the flag are synonymous with each other as they both stand for learning from the past, in order to make a more improved future.