Concerning freedom...
Freedom is too abstract a word. Were we to have a serious discussion, we must first establish what freedom means. To some, freedom means just being able to eat on a DAILY basis. It may mean being able to run for public office. To others, it may mean being able to complain without suffering repercussions from authorities. Either way, it is a relative to one's experiences in life.
I find that thinking about things in it's lowest denominator helps establish a proper gauge towards everything else in life. I have protection (police). I have food. I have shelter. Life is pretty nice. No need to complain about a damn thing.
A feeling that one deserves this and that is a flaw in thinking. Yes many things are crap (like schools as mentioned earlier) but who is to say you should have a school in the first place? Good people in the past thought, "hey, i want my kids' kids to have free schooling. Lets establish a school system! Better than nothing"
America is a pretty decent place. Yes, there are many who have forgotten the faces of their fathers, but there are those few who have not forgotten. Things can be fixed, things can change. Dont wait for the change, go out and live it. It take more courage than you think to stay true and live like a man (or woman).