Freedom: Empty Word or Concrete Right? Today, in Italy, freedom is celebrated. A word that fills speeches, slogans, and solemn proclamations. Politicians, managers, and the privileged wave it proudly, as if it were a trophy won by all. But outside the gilded palaces and far from the illuminated stages, there is another Italy. An invisible Italy, which has nothing to celebrate. It is the Italy of nurses, midwives, and social health workers. Of those who face grueling shifts every day, denied holidays, and a salary that is not enough to live peacefully. It is an Italy that struggles, in silence, against the anxiety of making it to the end of the month. There is a paradox that cries out for justice: we are among the European countries with the highest number of hours worked, yet among those with the lowest salaries. On this ground, disillusionment grows, bitterness sprouts. Because freedom, the real kind, cannot be just a word: it must be a concrete, tangible right. True freedom is not just the absence of chains. It is the real possibility to build a dignified future for oneself and one's children. If a State forces its citizens to live with constant worry about tomorrow, can we really call it freedom? No. It is just a well-packaged illusion. "Don't Call It Freedom if We Have the Chains of Indifference" Authentic freedom is measured in the peace of mind of a father or mother who looks to the future with confidence. Words without concrete actions are wind that disperses. Don't call it freedom if you can't sleep at night because of anguish. That is an invisible prison, made of needs and sacrifices. A State that does not invest in the economic dignity of its people offers only an empty, hypocritical freedom. Because freedom means living, not surviving. It means raising your children with dignity, not being slaves to a flag that covers systemic injustices. Today, while many celebrate, let us remember those who keep this country standing. Those who work without recognition, often in unworthy conditions. The majority are in debt. Everyone wonders why so many nurses are fleeing Italy, why they change professions? So let's ask ourselves, seriously: what kind of freedom do we want for our future? Vincenzo Parisi - Nurse Nursing Up
.jpeg "Infermieri di famiglia e Comunità, proposta Nursing Up")
