What does it mean to be an American?
My AP United States History teacher Mr. Adams once explained that American politics is like a barrel of water; tip it too much left or right, and the entire barrel will spill over. And the way I see it, Americans as a whole must put country before party first (Im speaking to BOTH of you republican’ts and dumbocrats) if we even have hope to regain our respect as the world’s superpower.
All of this victim mentality, this lack of accountability on both parties, the finger pointing and the lack of bi-partisanship is pathetic. The entire world,and our enemies are looking at us, laughing and plotting the demise of United States of America. United States? We’re so divided, on issues of class, race, gender and political affiliation that we refuse to see each other simply as Americans.
So we beg the question, what does it mean to be an American?
An American is that college student who studies all day and night, and practically sleeps on top of her organic chemistry textbooks in the library, not knowing if she will succeed in her pre-med courses, or drop out and face the obstacle of crippling student debt.
An American is that Marine veteran in a wheelchair on a busy intersection who lost his legs due to an IED explosion in Iraq. He often smokes, because it is the only thing that calms him down from the physical and psychological pain of war.
An American is that nurse and single mother who works 16 hour shifts in the Emergency Room tending to patients in need, and worries if she has what it takes to save a life, nevertheless caring for her own children. The bills keep stacking, and her stress keeps climbing.
An American is that teen on the streets of Compton, who worries that he and is family are being targeted not only by gang members, but also by law-enforcement due to his complexion and the way he speaks. He wants to make it big in this country, but the environment he was raised in prevents him to break the glass ceiling that plagues low-income communities.
An American is that police officer who everyday on patrol wonders what others think of him, and whether or not the community will ever respect the work he does, even though deep down in his heart, he only wanted to protect his community and keep the peace.
Everybody in this country wants to be happy, to live a decent life, to reap the fruits of their labor, and to not be discriminated against for being who they are. We all want the same things, but disagree heavily on how to achieve them. We even want to shoot each other and label each other for these differences.We all bleed red, and we all cry the same salty tears. We grieve over the loss of family and we celebrate the achievements of our kin.
Black, white, yellow, brown, red are just colors. A cross, a dharma wheel, a crescent moon, a star of David are just symbols of faith.
What happened to MLK’s “I have a Dream” speech where one day we live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character? This applies to every American of every color spectrum and political ideology? When we learn to respect (not agree) with each other for our beliefs and our lifestyles, then we can move forward as a country.
History repeats itself; the reason why Rome fell apart in the 5th century was that even with all of its wealth and military might, the political and social turmoil was what brought the Roman empire to its knees and rendered itself vulnerable to barbarian hordes from the East.
With Russia, China, North Korea, ISIS and numerous hostile entities ready to pounce on a weakened America, we will be doomed to replicate Rome in the near future, if America doesn’t get its proverbial shit together.
America used to be respected; Leader of the free world! The Land of Opportunity! The World’s strongest economy! Well truth be told, if we do not fix the social, economic, and political problems of this country, the next hundred years will not be pretty for us.
My parent’s home country was torn apart by civil war and political strife. I cannot bear to see the U.S. face such terrible circumstances, given the resources, and the intellect we have at our fingertips.
Yes, we can make America great again, but that means taking a good look at ourselves and our values as a country, before resuming our rightful place as the world’s only multicultural superpower. Our strength comes from our diversity of background and of intellectual thought; we are stronger united, because our unique perspectives make a cohesive bind that makes this country great.
It’s time for us to find within ourselves what really makes America tick. So thank you Mr. Adams, for helping me understand what it really means to be an American.