Never in life have I known my home country to be at peace, and I would argue that every other American alive today can say the same. The United States has been at war, cold and hot, off and on, since the start of World War Two. We, the United States, have fought in wars, retalitary, expansionist, and aggressive for the past 85 years. For we have always had a new enemy to strike down. Terrorists, nazis, communists, and socialists the list has gone on. Yet, within our own borders I see wars that need to be fought. Wars against poverty, hate, exclusion, and elitism. The homeless are still mostly abandoned on our streets. The impoverished still live difficult lives, wages fail to climb as prices and inflation get higher. Congress wars against itself as it struggles to pass laws. We watch as our legislature grows more partisan and adversarial. We have learned of sex offenders in positions of power across the world as the Epstein controversy grows every day in scope. Housing is unaffordable, gas prices skyrocket, and I ask myself now; does the United States of America, and all of its citizens, have our collective priorities straight?
When you vote for a candidate, what are you looking for? A tangible change in your life? Improvement that you can feel satisfied with? The ideal of that change? The promises people make to you? That is what I would want. A candidate that makes me, and my issues feel seen and addressed. While I can not yet vote I have not seen those tangible issues of the American people be properly addressed throughout my life, issues like of corporations gaining political power through lobbying and bribes, congress’ complacency as the executive grows in power, and the ever looming threat of a changing climate.
I do not believe we need a war in Iran, while America’s homeless population remains mostly unaddressed. I do not believe we need to expand America’s territory while young people struggle to afford homes. I do not believe that we need to divide ourselves among petty party lines that make it near impossible for any meaningful legislature or executive acts to remain passed. I do not wish for a candidate that points at an enemy and tells me to be angry. I wish for a candidate that calls out the issues I face in my life, and tells me how they might fix them.
When I speak of this I speak of the America of today. Our focus on cultural differences, political divides, wars in other hemispheres, and the demonization of immigrants. I can also draw lines to our past, the call to fight communism in the Vietnam war, or endeavors throughout Korea in the 1950’s, the overthrowing of democratically elected leaders across the world to prevent the spread of communism. Those actions, those political platforms, have not benefited the American people in a way they could feel back at home today, or yesterday.
This makes me firmly say that I do not believe the United States of America, its government and citizens do not have their priorities straight. It all makes me ask one final question;Who do you think you are? A Republican, a Democrat, an Independent? Sure. You are those things, but before you registered as any of that you were an American citizen, and your fellow countrymen are suffering, the economy bleeds, and the youth face a continuously more hopeless future.
