I find that you will hear people from all over the political or economic spectrum using the word freedom (or Freedom). Not all of them seem to use it in the same manner, though.

Freedom for Freedom

On one side you have those who prone freedom for the sake of Freedom. Your laws, your opinions, your beliefs, they all can exist provided that they do not come in the way of My Freedom. For example, those who advocate against gun control in the United States will cite the US constitution. "I don't care about any other arguments, because wanting to keep me from owning a gun is against my freedom."

Freedom for Well Being

On the other side, where I find myself, are people who prone freedom as being one of the many things that promote the well being of humans. We believe we must strive for the good of people and that, in order for the world to be better, people need some freedom: the freedom to vote, assemble in public, participate in harmless religious practices, love and live with a person of the same sex, etc.

The Problem of Freedom for Freedom

The problem of believing in freedom for its own sake is that, along the way, you can find yourself harming other people. I could use the freedom argument to do horrible things, something which I will not do if I think that freedom is only one of the many aspects of a good life.

There are people in this world who are denied rights such as voting (including gender-based discrimination) or who live in horrible conditions. When I hear people say that my not wanting them to keep an unlocked, loaded gun in their house goes against their freedom, I find it rather insulting to all those people.