For more than 60 years, the Freedom Trail has told the story of Americas struggle for freedom. About 1.5 million people walk the faded red brick trail each year, visiting such storied sites as Faneuil Hall, Old North Church, and the Paul Revere House.

But there is another Boston-based story of a struggle for freedom, one told by the lesser-known Black Heritage Trail, which explores the history of the African-American community on Beacon Hill in the 1800s and the abolitionist movement that was rooted there.

Now, thanks to a newcomer to Boston who saw this history with fresh eyes and found a way to reinterpret it, the trails have undergone a 21st century rebranding.

Beginning Memorial Day, when the citys new $7 million visitors center opens at Faneuil Hall, the trails will be jointly known as Bostons Trails to Freedom.

The idea came from Cassius Cash, who moved to Boston two years ago to become superintendent of two of Bostons national parks - the Boston National Historical Park, which includes some of the sites on the Freedom Trail, and the Boston African American National Historic Site, which includes the Black Heritage Trail. The 1.6-mile walking tour illuminates Bostons significant connections to the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad.

By Cashs admission, he was a long shot for the job. He grew up in Memphis and had never been to Boston. He didnt work for the National Park Service; he was trained as a wildlife biologist and worked for the US Forest Service.

Though he is African-American, until he started the job in Boston he knew nothing about the citys rich African-American back story: that the African Meeting House was a nexus for abolitionist activity, for example, or that Massachusetts was one of the first states to declare slavery unconstitutional.

I did not know there was a free black community at the time, said Cash, 43, a compact man in a gray and green National Park Service ranger uniform and flat hat who likes to be called Cash.

I didnt know about the various characters and the boldness and courage they had to do the things they did - to take on this institute we now call slavery. The end of slavery started here, said Cash, who two years later still seems energized by the story. It happened here in the 1800s.

Cassius Marcellus Cash came to Boston - with his wife, Vonda, a dental assistant, and two daughters - from a very different world. Born in 1968, he was named for the legendary boxer and activist Cassius Marcellus Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali.

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Blazing the other freedom trail

President George W. Bush had plenty to say about freedom during a rare public speech Tuesday he uttered the word about two dozen times but noticeably absent was a single mention of Afghanistan or Iraq, or of President Barack Obama.

No advance of freedom is inevitable. And any gain can be lost. But there is a reason for the momentum of liberty across the centuries: Human beings were not designed for servitude. They were created for better things. And the human soul is forever restless until it rests in freedom, Bush said at a George W. Bush Presidential Center event titled A Celebration of Human Freedom.

Speaking just a block away from the White House, Bush made no mention of the buildings current occupant, or of the two wars he launched while in office. Instead, the former president spoke in generalities, cautiously greeting the Arab Spring the broadest challenge to authoritarian rule since the collapse of Soviet communism, he said while warning of its challenges, and also promoting freedom as an American value that should be universal.

America does not get to choose if a freedom revolution should begin or end in the Middle East, or elsewhere. It only gets to choose what side it is on, the 43rd President of the United States said one of 23 times he uttered the word freedom, according to prepared remarks.

In promoting freedom, our methods must be flexible. Change comes at different paces in different places. Liberty often arrives not in leaps, but in steps. Yet flexibility does not mean ambiguity. The same principles must apply to all countries, he added.

Bush appeared relaxed, and even opened with a joke about his own freedom.

I actually found my freedom from leaving Washington, but its good on occasion to be back and see old friends, quipped Bush. The members of the Bush administration the mighty Bush administration thanks for showing up.

Bush made his remarks before an introduction, by former first lady Laura Bush, of Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi . The pro-democracy activist, recently sworn in to the Burmese parliament, appeared via Skype video-conference.

Suu Kyi said she doesnt oppose Sen. John McCains (R-Ariz.) suggestion to suspend sanctions against Burma.

Im not against the suspension of sanctions I do advocate caution though, I sometimes feel that people are too optimistic about the scene in Burma, said Suu Kyi.

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Bush: Freedom not just another word

Paying down debt more important than saving for retirement for many homeowners Debt-freedom expectations change as people age Many Canadian homeowners will continue to work until they achieve debt freedom before retiring Manulife Bank surveyed 2,003 Canadians Audio clips and infographic attached

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WATERLOO, ON, May 14, 2012 /CNW/ - Nearly nine in 10 Canadian homeowners (87%) indicate that "being debt-free" is very important to their definition of a successful retirement according to a recent debt and retirement survey conducted by Manulife Bank of Canada. This is second only to "having good health" (94%) and slightly higher than "having sufficient income to maintain my current lifestyle" (85%).

This is the first time that Manulife Bank has focused on surveying Canadians about debt in the context of retirement planning. The survey found that half of Canadians - more women (54%) than men (46%) - would find it extremely stressful to reach retirement age with debt still outstanding.

Interestingly, many non-financial factors such as "living near family" (62%), "keeping busy with a hobby or volunteer work" (64%), and "having a broad group of friends" (43%) were deemed much less important to a successful retirement than being debt-free.

"The results from this survey strongly support the fact that, for a successful retirement, people need to pay close attention to not just their retirement savings, but debt repayment as well," stated Doug Conick, President and CEO of Manulife Bank of Canada.

Similarities and differences across Canada

While Canadians are relatively consistent in their views on debt, some regional differences stood out:

Debt-freedom expectations change as people get older

Manulife Bank's debt and retirement survey found that three in four Canadian homeowners consider debt-freedom to be among their top financial goals - a finding that is relatively consistent with Manulife Bank's past consumer debt studies. However, their expectation about when they will actually achieve debt-freedom appears to be largely dependent upon their age.

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Wanted for a Successful Retirement: A Debt-Freedom Plan

An 18-year-old Freedom High School student allegedly found with a pellet gun and drugs in his backpack hopes to enroll in a first-time offender program, according to court proceedings today.

Khalid Webb now lives with his grandparents in Allentown. Webb waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of possessing a weapon in school, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia during a quick court session before District Judge Joseph Barner in Lower Nazareth Township.

Webbs attorney, Robert Patterson, said his client will enroll in the accelerated rehabilitative disposition program.

If he successfully completes between six to 12 months of probation, Webb could walk away from the incident without any charges on his record, Patterson said.

Webb was allegedly found with a pellet gun and marijuana on April 3 at the Bethlehem Township, Pa., high school.

He also pleaded guilty today to disorderly conduct in connection with a separate case involving a high school student who struck a school resource officer after not paying for his lunch on March 29. Webb agreed to pay a $164 fine for his summary-level disorderly conduct charge.

Webb said after his court appearance he intends to join the military, but his grandparents say his expulsion from Freedom High School has made things difficult.

His grandmother said the justice system has been fair to Webb so far. She hopes the ARD program helps him move on.

Jahad Crowell, 19, the student charged with assaulting the school resource officer, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday, setting the stage for the case to move to trial, according to court records.

It was not clear if Crowell intended to enter or was eligible for the ARD program. A call to the person listed in court documents as his attorney was not immediately returned.

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Freedom High School student allegedly found with pellet gun, drugs seeks probation

For BC, focus on debt-freedom as a condition for retirement is in line with the rest of Canada About one third of BC homeowners seek some kind of professional advice to manage debt and day-to-day cash flow Manulife Bank surveyed 2,003 Canadians Audio clip and infographic attached

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Retiring from Debt in British Columbia (CNW Group/Manulife Financial Corporation)

WATERLOO, ON, May 14, 2012 /CNW/ - Eighty-five per cent of British Columbian homeowners indicate "being debt-free" is very important to their definition of a successful retirement according to a recent debt survey by Manulife Bank of Canada . It ranks second only to "good health" (92%) and slightly higher than "sufficient retirement income to maintain my current lifestyle" (83%).

When asked to imagine that they had reached their planned retirement age and still had debt outstanding, 52% indicated that they would find this scenario extremely stressful. This aligns closely with the national average, where the survey found that fully half of Canadians - more women (54%) than men (46%) - would find it stressful to reach retirement age with debt not yet paid off.

BC homeowners judge many non-financial factors such as "living near family" (60%), "keeping busy with a hobby or volunteer work" (66%), and "have a broad group of friends" (47%) much less important to a successful retirement than being debt-free.

"Like most Canadians, BC homeowners understand that a stress-free retirement relies not only on sufficient savings, but also on being debt-free," noted Stuart Kirk , a Retirement Planning Specialist with Precision Wealth Management in Parksville, BC. "Understanding the importance of paying off debt is the first step to a successful retirement. The next step is putting a plan in place to help get there. And that's where a financial advisor can help."

Across Canada , debt-freedom expectations change as people get older

Manulife Bank's debt and retirement survey found that three in four Canadian homeowners consider debt-freedom to be among their top financial goals - a finding that is relatively consistent with Manulife Bank's past consumer debt studies. However, their expectation about when they will actually achieve debt-freedom appears to be largely dependent upon their age, a finding that is consistent across the country.

Most Canadian homeowners in their 30s (73%) who reported having debt expect to be debt-free before they turn 60. That number decreases to two-thirds for homeowners in their 40s. Just one third of homeowners in their 50s expect to be debt-free before they turn 60, with one in five indicating they either don't know when they'll be debt-free (14%) or don't expect to ever be debt-free (7%).

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In British Columbia, Debt-freedom is a High Priority for those Looking to Retire

The tactics of nonviolence can be a frustrating path for those who seek freedom. In Tibet, for example, many young people have lately given up on the Dalai Lama’s peaceful means against Chinese rule, while some have even resorted to self-immolation in public.

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Nonviolent tactics may be Syria's only path to freedom

Former President George W. Bush on Tuesday praised the Arab spring movement and said the U.S. shouldn't fear the spread of freedom, even if it doesn't know what policies newly liberated countries will pursue.

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Bush touts Arab spring, says US can't fear freedom

Syrian refugee camps: Lives in limbo

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Read more entries about the situation in Syria at "Anderson Cooper 360"

Syria-Turkey border (CNN) -- The dead are everywhere.

Nonexistent until last June, the encampment of about 1,600 people now is a haven of peace compared with the terror experienced in the country just 300 yards away. Housed in neat, white tents in southern Turkey, with cooking stations in between, people here do not have to worry about being silenced, tortured, arrested or killed.

In other words, they don't live in fear of what they say happened all around them on a daily basis -- and still happens -- in their war-torn nation of Syria.

EU slaps new santions on Syria

They are, however, left with the memories of people killed. And they share them freely, in the form of grainy videos showing their loved ones' funerals, pictures on cell phones of their missing sons and stories about the horrors they escaped but many of their countrymen still endure.

"They want the world to understand them. They want the world to bear witness," Fouad Ajami, a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, said Monday from the camp. "They also see the camera as a way of holding onto the memory of this lost world, a world that is very achingly close."

The fighting has prompted thousands to flee Syria, setting up new lives in a number of makeshift camps in neighboring nations. The United Nations estimates at least 9,000 people have been killed over the past 14 months in Syria.

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Syrians vow to fight for freedom

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

AxioMed Spine Corporation (www.axiomed.com) announces the receipt of CE Mark approval for its FreedomCervical Disc, an elastomeric total spinal disc replacement device. The CE Mark approval was received as a result of an accredited European Notified Body conformity assessment of the Companys complete portfolio of biocompatibility and biomechanical cervical disc testing and supporting data regarding the Freedom technology. AxioMeds first product was the FreedomLumbar Disc which received CE Mark in 2009. The CE Mark clears AxioMed for the introduction of the Freedom Cervical Disc into the EU Market. AxioMed is an ISO 13485:2003 certified manufacturer of the Freedom Lumbar and Cervical Discs.

Patrick McBrayer, AxioMeds President and CEO stated, With the Freedom Lumbar and Cervical Discs now both CE Marked, we will be able to provide a complete next generation elastomeric disc product line for patients and surgeons in the EU. Our EU lumbar clinical data, published in peer reviewed spine journals, demonstrate that Freedom technology has been shown to provide patients pain relief, reduced disability and improved lifestyle, based on monitored outcomes and feedback. We are also active in our multi-center pivotal clinical study under an Investigational Device Exemption for our Freedom Lumbar Disc with both efficacy and economic endpoints. Our goal is to have the most advanced and complete total disc product line in the US and EU.

Jim Kuras, the Companys Chief Operating Officer added, The Freedom Cervical Disc was developed by an experienced team of surgeons and engineers, taking advantage of the attributes of the lumbar technology and advancing the technology platform into the cervical spine. The cervical discs unique asymmetrical design and biomechanics evolve beyond first generation total disc technologies, better accommodating the cervical anatomy and spinal function. Complementing the differentiated design, multiple footprints and heights with wedge angles provide the surgeon with an array of implants to address the patient specific surgical requirements.

Neal Defibaugh, AxioMeds Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs, went on to comment, AxioMeds extensive pre-clinical and clinical experience with the Freedom technology was instrumental in providing a solid regulatory foundation for achieving a CE Mark approval on our Freedom Cervical Disc. We have leveraged our Freedom technology for the cervical disc regulatory pathway and timing in obtaining the CE Mark and we anticipate a similar advantage for our future US FDA IDE approval efforts.

The Freedom Cervical Disc is a viscoelastic one-piece, next generation total disc replacement featuring a polymer core, designed with the goal of restoring function of the spine and reducing pain and disability. CE Mark approval allows for the commercial distribution of the Freedom Cervical Disc throughout the European Union. AxioMeds Freedom Lumbar Disc has also attained a CE Mark, is commercially available in select countries in the EU and is under evaluation in an ongoing multi-center US and EU IDE pivotal clinical study designed with efficacy, safety and economic endpoints.

About AxioMedSpine Corporation

AxioMeds mission is to develop products focused on spinal function for patients with degenerative spine disease, thus advancing the standard of care beyond fusion and first generation discs. The Freedom Lumbar and Cervical Discs have been developed and designed by a team of clinicians and experts in the fields of biomechanics, pathology, spinal surgery and polymer science. Focusing on restoration of the natural function of the spine, AxioMed will enhance human health through research, innovation, development and service world-wide. For more information about AxioMed, please visit our web site at http://www.axiomed.com.

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AxioMed Spine Corporation Receives CE Mark for Freedom® Cervical Disc