John Stuart Mills states that the government has power over the individual because individuals let the government make choices for them. If the individual lets the government decide for him his lifestyle, that would be putting their life in the government's hands. That's why the government feels that they have the power to determine ones life. Mills indicates that the government shout not have a lot of power when it determines the life of an individual. For example in the 1960's during the civil rights movement black people were denied the basic voting rights. However the constitution states that all men are created equal but black people where denied their civil rights. How can we be all equal when in the 1960's and even today people are treated differently in some parts of the country because of color, race, religion and sexual orientation.
Mills states that people should have their opinions, and that they should be voiced. A person of higher authority should not have the right to override the opinion of someone of lower standards. Freedom of opinions is crucial for reaching objective absolute truth because when a person of lower standards or class voice their opinion to someone of higher class they are considered to be stupid or have no knowledge of anything because they are not of the same standards. The people of higher power are considered infallible and are never wrong. For example if a king orders his palace to be painted pink, but someone of the nobility thinks that the color is terrible, the noble man can express his opinion but the king will still have his way. The king has greater power over the noble man so he will override the noble mans opinion. Money and power rules if you don't meet the standards your opinion is valueless. Freedom of opinion gives individuals the right to express his or her inner thought and sentiments. If a person is deprived of its sentiments the person is not free.
