Freedom of Movement

It is high summer and the season and a reason for us to take a road trip. 

Traveling by car is our favorite and still the freest form of travel getting us from point A 

to point B. Unlike planes or trains, my husband and I decide our time of departure, and how many miles we want to travel before pulling over for the night. 

We don’t have to spend the night in an airport lounge because of a delayed flight. And no one inspects our bags.  

Idaho is still our favorite state to explore. But even when we tour through other states, we are not stopped by any border patrols between states or counties. 

Touring around the United States, we do have to travel with our driver’s license, but we don’t have to travel with our passports. 

I’ve taken this freedom for granted, never considering where it began. But this freedom to travel freely around the United States is actually called our freedom of movement under the United States law. 

This freedom of movement is governed primarily by clauses in our Constitution where it states that, “The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.”  

As citizens, we are free to travel from one state to another without being repressed, constrained, hindered or taxed. Our freedom of movement also gives us the right to be treated as a welcome visitor rather than a hostile stranger. Not only that, but we have the freedom to choose our mode of transportation. As long as our vehicle is street legal we are good to go. 

This summer, more than 120 million people are exercising their freedom of movement under the United States law and taking to the highway. 

This summer we chose our destination to be Stanley, Idaho. We’ve been welcomed as visitors and not treated as hostile strangers on the hiking trails we’ve hiked, the beaches we’ve enjoyed and in the natural hot springs we’ve soaked in.  

Why Bother?

Why bother relishing our freedom of movement? Not every country allows their citizens freedom of movement, but ours does. It is a very fundamental right that we possess and one we can relish.