Meaning of Freedom

During my stay in the city of Jakarta, I saw a lot of social events that were very silly and very strange. Minibus drivers who like to stop carelessly, even turn at will. If reprimanded, they will be indifferent and even often yell. Their classic excuse when yelling is "We're Just Making a living, Don't Disturb Us!" they said.

The same thing is done by motorcyclists (online motorcycle taxis). I often see them going in the opposite direction when on the highway, This is because they are lazy to turn even though they have a short distance. What they do is very dangerous, it can even cause an accident. If reprimanded, they will be indifferent and even often yell. Their classic excuse when yelling is "We're Just Making a living, Don't Disturb Us!" they said.

Another thing that happened in Jakarta was when a group of people was praying. They use loudspeakers when praying and sometimes shout very loudly with the loudspeakers. What if someone is sick and needs rest? what if a baby is sleeping? or meditators concentrate on silence, isn't that very disturbing? Things like this have been around for a long time, Their excuse is: "We are free of religion"

I quite understand their reasoning, because freedom is a natural human trait. Many people choose to die rather than be colonized or have their freedom taken away. In the world of philosophy of freedom, there are two definitions of freedom. the first is "freedom from" and "freedom to". Both are complementary and also one-unit. In my country, Indonesia, both types of freedom are protected by law, because my country has democratic laws. Law enforcers are also paid to protect these two freedoms.

However, I see that both types of freedom are increasingly being threatened. What makes these two types of freedom even more threatened are radical groups and religious extremists, their groups always force and often act violently. Then the capitalists and corporations like to suppress the rights of citizens such as evictions and land grabbing, it's because they are protected by the government and can bribe the authorities. And the last one is political leaders and corrupt governments, they deceive, fool, and even impoverish the people to this day.

The three groups (religious extremist groups, capitalists and corporations, government and officials) are very selfish. They want freedom, but they seize the freedom of others by oppressing them. They rejoice in the suffering of the people. This is not true freedom. Freedom must be properly understood, "Freedom to" must be limited to "freedom from". This is called true freedom. Individual freedom must respect the freedom of others as well.

Minibus drivers are free to earn money to provide for their families, but road users are also free to have regular roads. So the freedom of minibus drivers is limited by the freedom of other road users, so that minibus drivers can't go arbitrarily on the road. Likewise with motorcyclists and prayer. They must respect the freedom of others.

The first thing we prioritize is respecting freedom and respecting the rights of others, lest any freedom is sacrificed. That way, we can find a solution that is convenient for everyone. The need to earn money for life should not violate the needs of road users to be safe and comfortable. Likewise, the need for prayer must not violate the needs of people who want a quiet and comfortable environment.

Law enforcers who protect everyone's freedom must be firm, fair, and honest in their work. They should not be corrupt and accept bribes as is the case today. We even have to start having the courage to rebuke people who are selfish and violate the freedom of others. We must speak up and not be silent on anything wrong because we are a democratic society. Don't delay any more

The lead image source by: https://unsplash.com/photos/5d20kdvFCfA