The Voice - Student Newspaper - April 02, 2008

Equality and personal freedom:

Equality and personal freedom are concepts from which the basic American values are formed. But what do these ideas mean to college students in this day and age? When asked about his personal conception of equality, Mike Byrd, a student at Glendale Community College (GCC), described it as "the opportunity to do what anyone else can do or is doing."

Byrd believes people are too sensitive about equality and race and need to "relax and cool off." He also stresses that personal freedom is an important issue because "the government puts new restrictions on people all the time."

Rainet Lewis / The VOICE

Glendale Community College (GCC) student Scott Cota believes that personal freedom is the key to happiness.

Another student, Juan Penida, disagrees with Byrd in that he thinks "people need to be more sensitive about [equality]. There are still people who believe they are better than others.

Penida appreciates personal freedom and considers it a privilege that "we shouldn't take for granted." Scott Cota, a communications major, believes that society expects too much equality, especially those who expect not to be treated differently despite unusual clothing or physical styles.

He agrees with Byrd and Penida on the issue of freedom, claiming that individuals "know what they want" and "feel uncomfortable if their freedom is taken away from them." Issues about equality and freedom have existed since the conception of this nation and are likely never to go away. Open and frank discussion about these topics are imperative to the growth and cultivation of society.

College students have a duty to preserve the personal freedom we are granted as American citizens. Part of this duty is to continuously question authority.

This doesn't have to mean staging a protest or other radical actions. Simply remaining well-informed of the world and voting can have an immense impact on the preservation of equality, as Pineda puts it, "no matter what color you are, what gender, or what religion."