The United States of America has come a long way since the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, but not quite far enough. While things in our society have the potential to turn around and make our country great, too many issues are still holding America back: police brutality and racism, the defunding of Planned Parenthood without knowledge of the services it provides, and the still present issue of rape culture.
Sure, our government is working towards granting everyone legal rights and those who could solve some of America’s issues are gaining influence, but is that enough to change America for the better? Many people today will claim that racism is no longer an issue, but that is not the case.
People are being killed, ridiculed, and oppressed simply because of their skin color. Police officers, the men and women who are supposed to serve and protect, are attacking and killing innocent people of color. The people who ignore this fact are the same people who appropriate the culture of those whom they oppress.
People of color are derided, fired from jobs, even harmed simply for embracing their culture. When these cultural attributes are “whitewashed” or appropriated, they are seen as “cute” and “urban”. Police brutality, cultural appropriation, and the discrimination/oppression of minorities need to be abolished before we can consider America to be changed for the better.
Lack of knowledge is holding our country back tremendously. One topic Americans remain uneducated on is Planned Parenthood. When people hear this term, their first thought is usually “abortion”. However, abortion only accounts for about three percent of Planned Parenthood’s services. Defunding Planned Parenthood would not cause abortions (most of which are privately funded) to cease, it would only put an end to phenomenal services like free birth control, sex education classes, STD testing and treatment, cancer screening and prevention, and other healthcare services.
Another major issue in America is the presences of rape culture. Rape culture is the normalization of sexual harassment and violence. Everyday we hear rape jokes, we see people diminish people’s trauma and experiences, we witness the sexualization of young girls bodies, yet we hardly bat an eye at this behavior. It’s become a part of our daily life here in America. Why are such toxic actions considered okay? Women and men who face such trauma are being told that their experiences “aren’t as bad as they seem” and often have to witness their experiences being made humorous for the entertainment of others.
Young people are being taught that it is a woman’s responsibility to keep from being sexually harassed or harmed. Is this really the lesson we want the younger generations to learn? As previously stated, our country could one day be changed for the better, but as of now it is headed down a dark path brimming with hate, misunderstanding, and ignorance. It is now the duty of the people of America to inform themselves and others of the dangerous effects that these issues have on our society. Then, together, we will shout until our voices are heard and transform our country into something more advanced and brilliant than anything the world has ever see.
