Answer

Freedom and Security

Living a good life happens to be the most significant storyline as it determines our beliefs, actions, and institutions that we establish. In the pursuit of good life, the society often strives to accomplish freedom and security, and this has, in many instances, raised queries concerning whether these two goals can be perfectly achieved. My personal experience in high schools is among the numerous scenarios that challenge of guaranteeing individuals perfect freedom and security at the same time. When I was in high school, we spent a significant part of our school life free from excessive surveillance by the institution’s administration until incidences of drug abuse became rampant. Efforts by the school’s administration to engage students in dialogue and other support programs such as counseling as means of addressing the problem proved futile. When the school’s management noticed that the situation was becoming unmanageable, it decided to introduce the mandatory searches and intensive surveillance of students. In my view, I considered this move appropriate and was receptive to it considering that the safety of other students who did not use drugs was threatened and the problem was spreading in the school. However, many students were disappointed with the developments as the school management frequently encroached into their private lives. In many instances, students complained about the loss of their dignity when certain private issues about their lives such as substance addiction were accidently disclosed. Many learners became anxious and some even opted to transfer to other schools. Nevertheless, the problem of drug abused was eventually addressed and the school gradually returned to normalcy. In relation to this incident, I will argue that achieving a perfect state of perfect freedom and security presents a challenge considering that the pursuit of security may compromise freedom in terms of personal privacy, dignity, and psychological wellbeing.

Efforts targeted at attaining security within the society always compromise individuals’ freedoms when it comes to personal privacy. The incident at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School provides a perfect example of individuals’ privacy being breached by security measures. The school’s decision to prevent learners from carrying backpacks greatly undermined the learners’ fundamental personal privacy associated with being able to carry medicines, and books among other private items without revealing them to other parties (Stanley, 2018). Individuals are not always ready to tolerate their privacy being breached and may employ all ways to safeguard their privacy. For instance, in my high school experience, some students chose to relocate to other schools as a means of safeguarding their personal lives from surveillance by the school’s administration. The relocation of students to other schools was costly to the institution considering that it lost enormous revenues. Generally, measures employed at attaining security by encroaching into people’s privacy are often costly and this justifies the complexity of attaining a perfect state of security and freedom. For example, the massive eavesdropping program developed by the National Security Agency (NSA) experience a great scuttle as it was considered too expensive to civil liberty (Haynes, 2015).  

Apart from compromising people’s privacy, measures embraces to ensure security may greatly undermine personal dignity of individuals. Personal dignity entails a group or individual’s sense of self-worth and self-respect, psychological and physical integrity, and empowerment. When people’s privacy is breached by measures targeted at realizing security such as surveillance and undignified searches, their personal dignity is lost (Kristof, 2002). Stanley (2018, par. 13) confirms this claim he states “…such investigations are likely to become routinized, over-used, and turned into unjustifiably intrusive government monitoring of individuals’ lives”. Nonetheless, while ensuring personal dignity is vital, there is a need to focus on attaining the greater benefit of individuals and society, even when it implies sacrificing their dignity for their safety. 

The possibility of eroding people’s dignity by exposing their private or personal lives due to security measures such as surveillance negatively impact the psychological wellbeing of individuals. Anxiety and fear often develops when individuals think about their private lives being exposed to others. This scenario was evident in my high school experience when many students became anxious about the exposure of their personal lives to others by the school’s administration. As a result, some learners decided to transfer to other schools. It is vital to note that the issues of anxiety and worry do not only stem from the fear of people’s private lives being revealed, but also from the fear of wrongful targeting. Stanley (2018, par. 15) confirms this argument when he states, “I worry that if mass shooting events continue, the threshold for suspicion will become much lower and that ever-greater numbers of people will be reported based on ever-slighter suspicions”. As such, it can be noted that measures focused on achieving safety often result in fear and anxiety in many ways, and these negatively affect the psychological wellbeing of individuals. 

My core values of respect, open-minded, and honesty have a significant influence on my perception of the social issue of freedom and privacy. I uphold respect with great value and I am often ready to adhere to orders from my seniors even in situations where I find such commands unfavorable. Therefore, when authorities choose to implement stringent measures aimed at achieving the security of individuals or the society, I am always ready to obey their decision. Besides, I am an open-minded individual who is welcoming to any initiative provided that it is meant for my benefit and the benefit of others. For instance, whereas other students perceived the issue of surveillance and searches as offensive, I saw it a positive step towards addressing the issue of drug use in the school. Apart from being open-minded, I revere honesty, and I do not see any fault in measures adopted to achieve security such as surveillance and searches provided they are conducted in dignified ways. 

In conclusion, achieving a perfect state of existence between freedom and security is challenging as the pursuit of security may interfere with individuals’ personal privacy and dignity, and lead to issues of anxiety. As such, it can be noted that when it comes to achieving freedom and security, a compromise that ensures the attainment of the greater good has to be made. People should often strive to achieve a balance between enjoying their freedom and security by being willing to sacrifice one goal when the other one promises the greater benefit to the society.