This is a picture of high school students being hit by a high-pressure water jet during a protest in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.  I chose this photo because it is a good representation of a number of important aspects of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.  For one, this is an obvious example of the persecution that protestors were subject to in their quest for greater rights.  Though they were peacefully demonstrating, their passive actions were met by violence and brutality.  Furthermore, this photo shows that African Americans' struggle for civil rights during this time was against institutional oppression and racism as they were subject to brutality not only at the hands of white citizens, but also local governments.  Additionally, this photo also shows a reason why some African Americans became disenchanted with the nonviolent approach to achieving civil rights.  As many African Americans were continually subject to this kind of violence, they became fed up with this philosophy and turned towards more militant approaches.  Ultimately, freedom for me is the ability to express oneself.   Whether that be politically, culturally, or religiously, one should be able to fully express themself within the limitations of decent laws regardless of one's difference from societal norms or the majority.  Furthermore, I believe that freedom is also economic in nature as for one to be truly free within a society, they should be able to live comfortably and without having to worry about feeding themself or their families.