Members of our country bank on the liberties that are listed in the Constitution as the hallmarks of a functioning society. From freedom of speech to freedom of religion, these are specifically designed to protect the common people and to set guidelines for what freedom should look like.

Politicians like President Donald Trump, however, have run campaigns on restoring the freedoms that have metaphorically been taken away from citizens, which has created division on both sides of the political aisle. 

What is freedom? Is all speech free speech? Does your freedom matter more than mine? What constitutes a reasonable action to restrict freedom? These questions can all be answered by looking at the most American thing I can think of — sporting events. 

Yes, the places we go on the weekends and in the evenings to support our favorite teams play the sports we love — these are the places that can show what freedom actually is. 

So, let’s start off with the obvious: the Aggie way. 

Every Texas A&M student is told to stand throughout every home football game. If someone sits down, which I’ve seen, you can rest assured someone will be yelling behind you to stand back up. Do you relent to the rules, or do you do your own thing? 

When our yell leaders start chanting, do you follow too? Or do you just stand there while everyone is “humping it?” Of course, you join in because everyone else is doing it. If you don’t, you look like the odd one out. 

There is consistency in the way our fans conduct themselves — everyone must look and act the same because it’s intimidating. People don’t say that Kyle Field is hard to play in for no reason. 

We are known around the country for how uniform in tradition our university is, from the perfectly synchronized band during halftimes to the controlled chaos of the crowd when “Mo Bamba” starts playing. It’s terrifying for opponents because we follow a set of rules, spoken or unspoken, that allow us to have this great presence, to be the 12th Man we loudly proclaim ourselves to be. 

Now, imagine if every fan at Aggie football games did what they wanted to do and no one followed any rules. What happens when someone sits down during the game? Does anything happen to them? No, people might complain, but the Gestapo isn’t going to come and drag them out for not remaining in a singular voice and presence like the rest of the crowd. That would be absurd. 

You have the freedom to do anything you want, and it isn’t punishable by offense. That’s an American freedom, one that many countries don’t have the privilege of experiencing.

Sadly, however, this sense of freedom is fading away. 

Every day, it feels like the rise of fascist ideology accelerates. While I might say we aren’t at a total takeover, we are inching closer and closer toward it as more examples of freedoms being taken away from citizens become apparent. Politicians say that you have freedoms, but in reality, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to oppose what our current administration is doing. 

You can say anything you want until someone gets offended by it. Practice your religion, but God forbid it infringes on another person’s religion, especially if you’re not Christian. You can also literally get kicked out of White House press pools if you ask a question someone doesn’t like.

No one is free anymore unless there is harmony among everyone involved, which is never the case. There will always be an oppressor and the oppressed, especially with this administration. 

Jimmy Kimmel has been reinstated after being pulled off his show for comments made against Charlie Kirk’s assasination, trying to bridge the gap between a terrible killing and the politicians who tried to capitalize on his death. 

According to the First Amendment, he is allowed to do that. He is able to say whatever he wants and the government cannot act, but a private company can act if they disagree with what he said. 

The problem is that the chairman of the  Federal Communications Commission brought attention to this and used his position in government to convince a private company to pull him off the air, which goes against the spirit of the Constitution and the role of government in citizens’ freedoms. 

Kirk would’ve probably agreed with Kimmel’s freedom to speak his mind, even though he might’ve been opposed to the content of it — based on his beliefs when he was alive. Politicians have abused these freedoms in order to muzzle people who disagree with them. Not only is that un-American, it’s inhumane. 

People at sporting events can do whatever they want, but most people go with the flow of what most people are doing. But if one decides not to do the wave when it gets into their section, they’re free not to do it. What isn’t cool is arresting them and charging them with a crime because they didn’t participate. That’s a violation of their freedoms, and what many people in government are doing to silence oppositional voices. 

So, whether you’re jumping up and down at a football game or exercising your free speech, you shouldn’t be punished just because someone doesn’t like what you did. The next time you’re at a sporting event, think about the freedoms you possess just standing there; it’s more than you may think. But also, think about how every single day under this new political administration, more people’s rights are being taken away from them. 

You might not think you’re next, but one day you’re going to accidentally sit down during a game and you’ll be punished for it — and that’s an America I don’t want to live in.

Joshua Abraham is a kinesiology senior and opinion columnist for The Battalion.