Freedom is a tricky word because although it is repeated by a lot of people, if you ask them what they mean, they might have trouble explaining without sounding either idealistic or egoistic. Freedom is what they lack, it's what they want, what they need more of. In any case, there are two kinds of freedom: there is freedom FROM and freedom TO.

Freedom from oppression, from pain, from poverty, from negative things which reduce the quality of life, compared with freedom to speak openly, to travel abroad, to own guns, to party, to do things which different people see as positive contributions to the quality of their lives. They might do better to think about their responsibilities instead. The commercial media provide us with classic examples of "freedom TO", and look at what sort of contributions they make to the "quality" of our lives. Remember what Sting says: If you love someone, set them free.