We the People
The real way to make America great
I wanted to wake up and be proud of America today. I wanted to wake up to a milestone instead of what feels like a millstone. I love this country, but I’m not always proud of it. America is unique and beautiful and great in many ways, but America is also fractured and flawed. In certain areas (important areas), America falls short. This is nothing new. There is a lot to love about America and a lot of reasons to have hope for our greatness, but we can’t pretend that we’re a country that’s always gotten it right. America has made some serious mistakes. “Never forget” is not just for 9/11; it’s for slavery, segregation, and internment camps. It is for the dehumanizing way we’ve treated immigrants. It’s for every classified ad that ever included the words “no Irish need apply.” It’s also for our hurtful hesitation to get involved beyond our borders, like during the Holocaust.
An allegedly wealthy white man just got what he wanted, and people are surprised. Why? Perhaps you think he doesn’t deserve it. Perhaps you think he didn’t act with decency and decorum. Well, lying and taking are in the foundation of America. This country was conceived by taking. This country was built by taking. First we took land that wasn’t ours from Native Americans. Then we took bodies from Africa and cruelly compelled them to work for us. And when that economic…
