Talking Points: Ahead of World Freedom Day - what does freedom mean to you?
Hate it when you can’t talk back? Well, you can with Young Post. Have your say and share with students around Hong Kong
Gurung Priyanka, 14, HKMA David Li Kwok Po College
Freedom to me means equality for men and women, and dressing however we like without discrimination. It means racial equality. It means being allowed to love whomever you like, because love is love. It means being accepted as a boy if you feel like a boy, or being accepted as a girl if you feel like a girl. Freedom is the right to do what we want, without restriction.
Edwin Ho Him-to, 13, Po Leung Kuk Lee Shing Pik College
I think freedom means doing, speaking, and thinking things without being controlled by other people or rules. That’s why we have freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Freedom is being allowed to practise what you want.
Talking Points: Should schools introduce a no-uniform policy?
Joseph Ng, 14, Hong Kong And Kowloon Chiu Chow Public Association Secondary School
Freedom is one of the most important things in society. It means doing things without restriction. Students face a lot of pressure to do well at school. I think that the perfect form of freedom is to get to sleep all day long and to play games whenever I want. Please can adults give us more freedom? No one wants to live in a world full of academic pressure without it.
Wilson Yin, 16, Fung Kai No.1 Secondary School
There are many different types of freedom. There is the freedom to eat what we want, say what we want, and buy what we want, for example. It all adds up to freedom of living. Take my life, for example. I love to eat chips, but I am not allowed to eat them. When my parents are around, I have to eat healthy food. I only eat chips when they aren’t around. They are taking away my freedom to eat what I want.
Talking Points: Should schools reward students for 100 per cent attendance?
Khan Bibi Aaisha, 14, Precious Blood Secondary School
To me, freedom is something that you can do without anybody stopping you or pushing you to do. For example, being allowed eat whatever and however much you want. Freedom has different meanings to different people around the world, though. For example, in Hong Kong it may mean freedom from the central government. In India, it may mean the ability to go out on your own as a woman without the fear of being followed or hurt by men. Freedom is making sure other people are free, too, and that we can all live together peacefully.
Margaret Fung Shuk-cheung, 14, Hong Kong And Kowloon Chiu Chow Public Association Secondary School
Freedom is the right to study and go to school. In some countries, young people face conflict, natural disasters, and extreme poverty. This prevents from having a decent education. They are forced into child labour to survive, and grow up with no qualifications – and remain trapped in a cycle of poverty. We’re blessed in this city to have the freedom to study, and to chase a career in what we want.
Talking Points: Should students be required to complete homework over the summer?
Wong Sze-in, 13, Tung Wah Group Of Hospital Lo Kon Ting Memorial College
I think freedom, for me, is the most important thing ever. If I don’t have freedom, I can’t do things well. Freedom for everyone in the world is important, too. I want to be free to living however I like, stress- and worry-free.
Ng Chi-nok, 15, International Christian Quality Music Secondary and Primary School
Freedom is being allowed to make speeches, even anti-government ones, without the fear of being arrested. Freedom allows you to associate with people with same beliefs as you. Your freedoms should not be interfered with.
Talking points: should cage homes be illegal?
Lau Wing-tung, 12, Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College
Freedom means a lot to me. If I have freedom, I can do whatever I like without my parents checking on me all the time. I would be allowed to tell people what I’m thinking, even if people would not like it or agree with me.
Leung Cheuk-yin, 14, Pentecostal School
I think freedom means doing and thinking what I want. For example, if I wanted to play football, I should be allowed to do it. My parents or a teacher would not be allowed to stop me. However, I do not think that people should be free to do bad things.
Talking Points: Should cyberbullying be treated as a crime?
Sze Chun-hei, 16, Henrietta Secondary School
Freedom is a basic right that all of the people should have. I am still a secondary student, so the freedom I want is very simple – to do things I enjoy without my parents telling me I can’t. I would also have the freedom to do things I don’t enjoy too, such as study and clean up, because that would be the responsible thing to do.
Cheung Hung-im, 14, Gertrude Simon Lutheran College
Freedom is letting ourselves behave however we like and doing whatever we want without anyone telling you otherwise. Of course, we would still be subject to law, because freedom isn’t an excuse for criminal behaviour. If people were not free, we wouldn’t have a very good society. Freedom is important for everyone!
Law Wai-ying, 14, Carmel Secondary School
Freedom is the state of not being controlled, of being able to make our own choices, and being allowed to speak and act how we like. At the same time, though, we must make sure we are responsible even as we enjoy ourselves. Obeying laws isn’t an infringement upon our freedoms, because they protect us from danger.
In our next Talking Points, we’ll discuss:
Should students be punished for taking political action during class time?
We are now accepting your answers for this topic. To take part, email your answer with your name, age, and school, along with a nice, clear selfie (make sure it’s not blurry), to [email protected] by lunchtime on Monday. Don’t forget to include “Talking Points” in the subject line.
Edited by Ginny Wong