If you feel freedom, you will respect it.

You may be living in freedom without actually feeling it.  When you don't feel something, it's difficult to appreciate its true value.  

If we as Americans unite with the common understanding that although we may have differences in opinions, belief systems, and values, WE THE PEOPLE pledge that our right to have an opinion is more valuable than our differences.  By actively acknowledging this common ground, our initial judgments (whether conscious or subconsciously) on our fellow brothers and sisters (regardless of race, gender, social status, sexual orientation, or career choice) is with respect through the development of compassion.

I pledge that our right to have an opinion is more valuable than our differences.

The Mission of iAM.XXX:

What does being an American mean to you?

More than 1.6 billion people—23 percent of the world’s population—have no say in how they are governed and face severe consequences if they try to exercise their most basic rights, such as expressing their views, assembling peacefully, and organizing independently of the state. Citizens who dare to assert their rights in these repressive countries typically suffer harassment and imprisonment, and often are subjected to physical or psychological abuse. In these countries, state control over public life is pervasive, and individuals have little if any recourse to justice for crimes the state commits against them. (Freedom House 2012)

Compassion is an emotion that is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of another; to show special kindness to those who suffer.
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Benefits
Why develop compassion in your life? Well, there are scientific studies that suggest there are physical benefits to practicing compassion — people who practice it produce 100 percent more DHEA, which is a hormone that counteracts the aging process, and 23 percent less cortisol — the “stress hormone.”

But there are other benefits as well, and these are emotional and spiritual. The main benefit is that it helps you to be more happy, and brings others around you to be more happy. If we agree that it is a common aim of each of us to strive to be happy, then compassion is one of the main tools for achieving that happiness. It is therefore of utmost importance that we cultivate compassion in our lives and practice compassion every day.