unity

Living in the United States in 2017 can be tough, especially since you can't utter an opinion without being attacked by someone who has an entirely different viewpoint. What ever happened to freedom of speech? Has our country been torn apart to the point in which we cannot express our opinions in fear of being criticized or offending someone else? In many occurances, these differences in opinion lead to violence and protests, and I believe that our once-united nation has been split into a number of nations.

Within the past couple of years, Americans have been overwhelmed with riots concerning political differences, and it has made headlines all around the world. While other countries are fighting against each other, America is fighting against itself over opinions. What an embarrassment we must appear to be. One of the many headliners of this year was the KKK rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. I remember the mixture of emotions I felt as I read the news. First, I felt confused, because it's 2017, meaning racism is expected to be way behind us. Then I realized that it wasn't at all surprising, due to the fact that racial inequality is still prevalent in our country, though it is significantly better than, say, the 1950s. The biggest emotion I felt, though, was hurt and frustration; hurt over the fact that some people are filled with so much hatred, and frustrated that so many people believe that they are superior due to the color of their skin. I read about all the brave human beings, fighting for equality and standing up to these monstrous people wearing white cones on their heads. And even though I am against white supremacy myself and remain proud of those who stood for equality and unity, their bravery also caused countless injuries and even more violence between the two sides.

This event proves my original point: America has been split into two, all because of matters of opinions and different political views. In The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Sarah Vowell says, "...I kept whispering under my breath 'we the people, we the people,' over and over again, reminding myself we're all in this together and they had as much right - exactly as much right - as I to be in the muggy underground on their way to wherever they were on their way to." Americans could use Vowell's words as a lesson for all of us to come together as one. Even if you don't agree with how someone thinks, it is important that we acknowledge the fact that everyone is entitled to their own opinions and that no one is superior to another; we all have the same rights; we are all American and we all live in the same country, even if we don't look, act, or think the same way.