5 Freedoms Missing in the U.S.
Photo by Mediocre Studio on Unsplash
And sure signs of a civilized society
Yet again, I return home from an extended trip to Europe and look back with envy. Again, I’m reminded that we in the U.S. lack the basic liberties that European countries enjoy, despite being promised “liberty for all.”
Here are a few signs of a civilized society that are, sadly, lacking in America.
1. Good public transport — freedom to move
Good public transportation is so much more than a European gimmick — it’s freedom. Freedom to go anywhere you want anytime without having to buy a car, get a driver’s license, pay for car insurance and gas and spend countless hours in traffic. Freedom to have a drink and fall asleep on the train ride home and not behind the wheel. And freedom to move and be active instead of being stuck in the car seat.
I experienced this for myself many times, having moved from New York to California, then to Europe and back to California. Every time I landed in a car-dependent place, I felt disempowered. Despite having a car in our family, I never learned to love the sedentary lifestyle that came with it. Movement is everything, but so many in the U.S. have no idea.
Not only commuting by public transport is better for the environment (and your wallet), but it’s better for your health and body, too. How do you think Europeans stay so fit while constantly consuming large amounts of delicious bread and butter? And let’s not forget mental health. That chilly walk to and from the train might just be what your mood needs.
2. Free healthcare for all — freedom not to worry
While our friends in Europe enjoy lives free of worries about medical bills, so much of our lives in the U.S. revolve around health insurance, or lack of thereof. We’re at the mercy of our parents, colleges and employers to provide us with medical coverage and a peace of mind that should be given to us for free in the first place.
Imagine how much more productive our society could be if no citizen ever had to worry about being able to pay for maintaining their health?
If only it all ended with the never-ending bills, co-pays and deductibles. But even if you have the brains and the means to sort out your health coverage, your time is the next precious resource that will be drained. Because in the U.S., dealing with any doctor’s office or insurance company means engaging in endless paperwork and useless mail bonanza.
In our family of five, medical mail never stop. Five days a week, we’re reminded of our coverage (in many different languages), our rights, benefits, future appointments, co-pays, appointments we should make, flu vaccines and all else but election results. Multiplied by five. All on paper. It enrages me.
Why does having health insurance in the U.S. feel like a part-time job? The one we have to pay for, too.
Yet, there are still people in the U.S. who prefer our way of handling medical care, for the fear of turning into “socialists.” Those, of course, are the people who can easily spare both time and money.
3. Support for families — freedom to love
Yet another shocking concept to an American that’s in full use in other developed countries: government policies that support families. From government-subsidized daycare to provide proper socialization for young children and help parents return to work, to generous or at least decent parental leave, to free or affordable educational programs for young children, and to many more easily-accessible parks and playgrounds — there are so many ways in which we can say yes, children are our future, so let’s do our best to support them.
Instead, we have turned childhood into a business opportunity, where basics like childcare or sport lessons for the little ones cost a fortune. Yet what can be more logical than investing in tomorrow’s people today?
Freedom to love your family without having to worry if you can afford having it in the first place is, perhaps, the most important one of all.
4. Free or affordable education — freedom to grow
Education helps people to make better life decisions and have more choices for their future. Education is freedom which so many in our country lack. Yet good education for all shouldn’t be a privilege but a given for any civilized country. Because a country of educated people is a better functioning and a happier one.
Still, quality education, from pre-schools to colleges, remains a privilege for the wealthy few in the U.S., who in turn earn more money thanks to their good education, so their children get to enjoy better education, and so on. It’s a vicious circle.
No one should start off their lives with debt. It’s the opposite of freedom.
5. Good working conditions — freedom to work and rest
Here’s another obvious one: happier workers make for happier citizens. They’re also more productive and (probably) more willing to pay their taxes. Instead, many people I’ve met in the U.S. felt like they were being ripped off by both the government and their employees, which made them resentful.
While in my husband’s native Denmark, for example, workers enjoy shorter work days, with no overtime ever, five weeks of mandatory paid holiday leave (plus public holidays!), generous maternity and paternity leave, as well as livable unemployment support for up to two years, in his current job in the U.S., he gets two weeks of paid vacation (which, unlike many Americans, he’s not afraid to take) and long working hours.
Still, he’s better off than many Americans I’ve met. Like a friend of mine who hasn’t taken a vacation in ten years because he “can’t afford it” (and for the fear of being replaced). How civilized can a country be if there are hardworking people who can’t afford a week’s worth of rest?
Let’s reevaluate our relationship with freedom, America, and agree that there’s more to it than the right to carry a gun. I’ll take the freedom to return to work while my two-year-old attends quality subsidized daycare anytime.