The American Way: Freedom The heart of the American calendar is July 4. Americans have celebrated this date as "Independence Day" since 1776. In a (1) atmosphere of this holiday, patriotic speeches remind Americans of their (2) . July 4 represents the heartbeat of America:freedom. When Americans think of freedom they often think of (3) . American - style democracy tries to protect individual rights. People in other cultures may not understand this (4) . Privacy is one good example of individual rights. Personal freedom in America often means the right to one’s own (5) . American don’t want to invade someone’s privacy, even if they know the person quite well. They prefer to keep many "family matters" private. (6) , individuals may not share in conversation such information as salary, age, (7) status or religion. In American culture, freedom also implies equality. For Americans, equality refers to equal worth and equal (8) . In America, people can still hear rags - to - fiches stories often enough to (9) it in the minds of many. Freedom arouses strong feelings for Americans. However, problems still exist. One individual’s freedom can (10) with the rights of others. The path to freedom is not completely smooth but for Americans it is worth travelling.