External freedom? For me that's impossible. I have no control over what other people do, what the government does, what educators do but I can keep from getting caught up in that madness by having faith and being true to what I want and need, being true to what I am put on this planet to do.

If I am walking down the street and someone attacks me because of the color of my skin, I have no control over their behavior and I can't take it personally. However, I can act or respond in a way that is true to who I am, whatever that is. If a teacher mistreats my child, I can take steps to make sure it never happens again. This is the core of activism: action. I can take steps to make sure I get the most positive thing out of every situation, no matter what it is.

This is why I can be in the middle of hell and still be free.

"Know thyself"

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you". So we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
-- Hebrews 13:5,6

"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path"
--Morpheus in "The Matrix"

"It's our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"- Dumbledore to Harry Potter "Chamber of Secrets"