Freedoms are just another word for everything you have to lose.
Kris Kristofferson is an actor, singer, and songwriter. These words were written for the 1969 song Me and Bobby McGee. Kristofferson did not know the extent of the song’s popularity, not only from performances by different genres and interpretations, but also through generations.
Janis Joplin’s most successful cover tells the story a couple who lost their way after years of traveling together. Bobby McGee, the character of Bobby McGee, leaves the duo’s adventurous, hitchhiking lifestyle to find a stable home without Joplin.
Joplin’s use of freedom offers a melancholy view on the loss of her companion. She now has the freedom to pursue the adventurous lifestyle she once desired, but she also finds that this freedom comes with the pain of loneliness.
The narrator starts to realize that her wanderlust lifestyle is meaningless without her partner.
Following the story of the breakup with Bobby, but Id trade all my tomorrows for one yesterday, to be holding Bobbys corpse next to mine, we can see the heaviness of this seemingly simple line and the divergence in the interpretations of freedom.
Bobby McGee and Me both believe that freedom is a sharp double-edged sword.
What does freedom mean in relation to America’s relationship with the environment?
Freedom is the foundation of America’s ethos. The U.S. citizens are guaranteed the constitutional freedoms to exercise their religion, participate in democracy, and petition the government.
Our freedoms are important because they allow for the exchange of ideas and the ability to change our reality. However, they can also become abused.
Freedom can be used as a way of escaping the reality of one’s actions.
We saw harm done by the values that freedom has brought throughout the pandemic. Those who refused to wear masks during the pandemic did not consider the well-being others and instead used freedom as their support system.
Is it okay to do something that could hurt someone or something just because you have the permission or ability? Absolutely not. Freedom should not be used as an excuse to avoid social responsibility and cooperation between all people.
This sad excuse and abuse can lead to harmful actions, not only towards people, but also towards the environment. Americans are too comfortable with a “use it or lose it” approach to consuming resources.
According to the Michigans Center for Sustainable Systems 2021 energy system analysis, the United States, which hosts less than 5 percent the worlds population, uses almost 16 percent global energy.
This is a good example of how the United States compares to China’s energy consumption, which is equivalent to more than 18% of the world’s population.
How is it possible that we can consume at such high rates of comfort? American exceptionalism, the belief that our nation is intrinsically different from all others, supports our consumerism ideology.
Capitalism-driven consumerism encourages people and businesses to consume excessively, degrading the environment, while encouraging them to consume unnecessary mass consumption.
American exceptionalism is built on our ideologies regarding freedoms, liberty, and justice. However it can also have the effect that we are superior and entitled.
Because we are a richer nation, this privilege has resulted in a disconnect from the effects of our environmentally destructive actions.
Our dangerous, polluting factories are outsourced to countries that are less able to meet unjust labor demands. We send our recycling away in the hope that it will be taken care. We do not dump our garbage outside of our homes. We throw away all the waste products of consumerism in the hope that we will never see their terrible effects or the reality of climate change.
There is no such thing as a disposable product or a single-use product. They will continue to exist and cause damage for centuries.
But where are these products actually going? The Earth is a closed system, so where is it?
We are both complicit in climate change and contributing to the destruction of our world community.
When will freedom become a term for everything? What happens when we realize we cannot trade our tomorrows to get today?
These words were immortalized by Joplin, but I believe they can also be sustained.
Joplin realized that her life apart from her husband was not worth living. This story shows that not all encumbrances are worth the loss of our individuality.
Is it the most valuable thing in the universe to practice your freedom of consumption? No.
Avoid the temptations of capitalism and live a slower lifestyle. You can be mindful of the products that you actually need and cut out those that you don’t. You have the right to choose what products you consume.
Even if it puts you under some restrictions, use your freedom to accept eco-friendly responsibilities.
Columns reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan or any other organization in which they may be involved.
