the freedom of the human spirit in a free society

In reflecting back on the experience gained through the subsequent study abroad trip I am particularly struck by the level of individual freedom one feels while traversing the Viennese society. With a sense of self-awareness and heighten observatory skills I began to take notice of what we, here in America value so much but today do not truly realize: the freedom of the human spirit in a free society. Interestingly enough both Austria and the United States share a westernized ideology and society, in fact the American political rhetoric is abidingly characterized by the ideals of individual freedom, individual rights, freedom of movement and self-reliance. However, for me it was only in a foreign country that I truly felt the notions of what it meant to engage a society seemingly uninhibited by the global threat of terrorism and lacking the visible and uncomfortable layers of security mechanisms found in America today. To be accurate Austria is a neutral country and the United States is on the opposite end of that spectrum. However, it is still interesting to realize what a conundrum the American society is given its self described characterization as the beacon of individual liberty even in this post 9/11 society when compared to other nations.
For example, in visiting the Schonburg palace, for the Vienna Philharmonic performance there was no entry point into the grounds resembling a U.S. airport nor was there an intense security detail decked out with dogs, guns and other cool gadgets designed partly to be a show of force and put back in line an unruly citizen or protester. This place, not like any other venue in the city, is a national icon of Vienna’s historically preserved beauty and the symbol of the former Austrian Empire’s reach and power. One can contrast this with an equally iconic symbol of American power such as the Library of Congress (located across for the U.S. Capitol and is the World’s largest library with millions of entries), were entering and exiting its premises is much like an airport, access to the library itself is granted after issuance of a special ID card in which one must fill out a form resembling a job application and prior to actually getting to the library one must relinquish any bags or coats.
Another instance of Austria’s freedom of movement and un-inhibitated access to public facilities came when visiting the Sigmund Freud Museum. Not only were there no security checks but patrons were allowed to place the unchecked belongings into a closet. This process, much like the process of giving your hotel room key to the hotel Furstenholf receptionist in which anyone could ask for your key by simply stating the room number absent of any identification check, speaks to the mindset of a people not concerned with the next terrorist attack targeted against westernized cultures. In contrasting this process with the Washington D.C.’s “Newsuem” (a journalism museum) who’s entry is like an airport with armed guards. Thus, the idea of leaving a backpack anywhere on the premise of the museum (and another public or private facility) is not tolerated, it becomes evident that America is in a new era of security and openness.
In conclusion, Americans unlike the Austrians, occupy a very different global position and thus the security measures to maintain our national security is therefore different for good and obvious reasons. Nonetheless it was extremely interesting to observe how a country other than the United States conducted their daily affairs in regard to the increased global security threat.