H. L. Mencken Analysis

American essayist and social critic H. L. Mencken writes about how an average man does not want to be free but wants to be safe. Mencken conveys many observations to contemporary society. Many people have disagreements, others may have many agreements with Mencken. Determining whether you would rather have freedom or safety may be hard, but according to “an average man” they would pick to be safe. We often value freedom-the ability to choose who we associate with, where we choose to travel, our religion, and what ideas we hold. While freedom is important, so is security. Many find themselves hung up in certain situations due to the fact safety borders freedom. We believe that many men are taught what they believe. Ayn Rand once said, “Freedom has only one meaning: the absence of physical coercion.” I completely agree with this quote because it connects to the issue. A man is free to act however he desires until he acts upon being harmful to others and loses his freedom. Although, I believe there are rules and laws that need to be stronger. The government may even be capable of having the power of spying on the population. If the government made that action than everyone would lose their freedom, even their safety. …show more content…
With people risking their freedom for safety, they are just asking for stronger government control. With the government having the power to override the populations “freedom,” many people often violate their human rights due disruptive to the public. Those who support the lack of freedom, to feel protected, do not consider that asking for more safety is asking for more