Liberty is power. Not power over a country, or other people of any kind, but power over yourself. Liberty is the power to make your own choices, to decide for yourself every action that you undertake. You make the choices, and you are in control. That doesn't necessarily mean that everyone else will agree with or respect those choices that you have the freedom to make, and in some cases there might even be some consequences. Although this is true, it doesn't alter the fact that the power to make decisions is in your hands, and always will be.

The freedom to choose the action you take is complete and unconditional. Unless one is physically unable to proceed with an action, nothing but one's conscience is keeping him or her from carrying through with it. The only thing that can stop you from being independent is yourself. Liberty is that freedom and control over yourself and what you choose to do. There are many different types of freedoms in America. You are free to choose to travel on an airplane, or to drive a car. You have the liberty of making a phone call, or you can choose to write a letter instead. On these small decisions, or bigger choices as well, liberty is power, and freedom, and independence.

Liberty, freedom and independence: these are core ideas that America was built off of. In the life of a middle school student like myself, there may not seem to be, but there are many examples of liberty, even in our daily life. For example, we can take the bus to school, ride a bike, or have someone drive us. We can choose to study for a test, or watch television instead. Even small children can decide what color pajamas to wear, or what game to play at the park. Kids may not realize it, but since we do enjoy freedom, we do have power.

Having the power to make choices and take action is an extremely wonderful thing, but this power, most of the time, will not pass unchallenged. For every action you take, for every deed that is done, there is always and unfailingly a consequence. Whether these consequences come from the law, or simply people in your life; whether it's positive, or negative, they are inevitable and unavoidable. If someone broke the law for example, there would be a consequence, but that doesn't mean anyone forced him or her to break the law. He or she made that choice independently, and that is liberty. Because of the ramifications of the law, and negative consequences for negative actions, many might be reasoned out of taking such actions, yet the one with the final say is you.

Consequences, yes, but the choices we make are ours to make. Liberty is freedom, and in America, freedom is abundant. Everywhere we turn there are examples of the everyday liberties scattered within our lives. To name them all would be impossible, and having those freedoms--independence and control over ourselves--is something many of us may take for granted, but in reality, it is special, and it is a gift. What Lady Liberty symbolizes is the philosophy of the United States, and how special and privileged all of her citizens are. Lady Liberty symbolizes the gift of freedom, and the individual power it grants us.