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Dear America, Where Is Your Love?

 

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Dear America, Where Is Your Love?

 
Love: It’s a word we often hear, read, and think. But what does it mean? What is love? When is it appropriate? Is it used too loosely? Or is it not used enough? As 2015 National OA Chief, Alex Call, once said, “Love is simply the act of making others matter.” Love is not complicated. It is making others matter, and I believe that it is not used enough in America.

 
I love our country, but it’s troubled. The United States has forgotten about one of its most prized values, and as a consequence, it has forgotten how to love. We are a republic, and republicanism is based on selflessness and putting the common good before yourself. Our country needs to learn to love. Our country needs to learn to make others matter. We hold love, selflessness, and the common good at such high levels.

 
So dear America, where is your love? Where is your selflessness? What is your common good?

 
Dear white America, where is your love for black America? Where is your selflessness for hispanic America? What is your common good you share with Arab America?

 

Dear Christian America, where is your love for Muslim America? Where is your selflessness for Muslim America? What is your common good you share with Muslim America?

 
Dear rich America, where is your love for poor America? Where is your selflessness for poor America? What is your common good you share with poor America?

 
Dear male America, where is your love for female America? Where is your selflessness for female America? What is your common good you share with female America?

 
Are we not all Americans? We live in the same country, and we all contribute to it. White America, black America, Hispanic America, Arab America, rich America, poor America, Christian America, Muslim America, and the many other social groups all have one thing in common: America.

 
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” and “…liberty and justice for all” are all examples of American values. They all seem to have the values of putting others before yourself, making others matter, and loving others. So, why doesn’t America love America? I can tell you why. Fear, ignorance and hate are major problems. It is basic arithmetic. Fear plus ignorance equals hate, and hate is the opposite of love.

 
White America is ignorant and doesn’t recognize its privilege over minorities, and since they’ve held power in this country even before its creation, they fear giving power to minorities. This has bred hatred, but it can be fixed. Black lives matter. And yes. I do realize that all lives matter. However, saying “all lives matter” in response to “black lives matter” is like feeding someone who is full instead of someone who is starving. It’s like a fireman spraying water on the perfectly fine houses around the one that is burning at the time. Innocent black men, women, and children are unjustly killed by police officers. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.” White America needs to recognize this and fix it in order to be able to show love for black America.

 
Again, white America is ignorant and doesn’t recognize its privilege over minorities, and since they’ve held power in this country even before its creation, they fear giving power to minorities. This has bred hatred, but, like the case of black America, it can be fixed. Hispanic America is not destructive. They are not murderers, rapists, and drug dealers. They are people. They are Americans. They are hard-working. They deserve the same as white America. They deserve to matter to white America. They deserve to be loved by white America.

 
September 11, 2001 was a tragic day for our country, but we recovered from it. Well, we mostly recovered from it. The attacks on that day were conducted by a small group of extremists. However, white America and Christian America still fear Arab America and Muslim America for the actions of a few extremists that were Arabic and Muslim. Fear of Arabs and Muslims and ignorance believing that the actions of a few define the actions of the many cause hate from white America and Christian America toward Arab America and Muslim America. Innocent Arab and Muslim Americans have been killed, attacked, and threatened because of Islamophobia. Arab America and Muslim America matter, and they need to be loved, too.

 
The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. The richest 1% has 40% of America’s wealth, and they are taking in 24% of the nation’s income. They also only hold 5% of the nation’s debt. They fear losing their wealth, and they are not aware of the struggles of the 99%. They do not care about the struggles of the 99%. They like their money, and they want to keep it. They could help stabilize our country, yet they don’t. They could fight for the common good, but they don’t. Rich America could help poor America by helping all of America. Poor America matters, and they need love too.

 
Being a feminist is not bad. It does not mean that you hate men. It does not mean you want women to be greater than men. It means you want social, economic, political, and legal equality between men and women. However, male America fears women in power. They want women in their control. It has been that way since before this country was even created. They have endured this from not being able to vote to not being able to dress like they want to or fully express themselves. They’ve endured rape culture and the wage gap. Female America is not a danger to male America. Females matter. They deserve equality with men. Female America needs love from male America.

 
So dear Americans, I ask that you find your love. I ask that you make America matter. I ask that you be selfless. I ask that you fight for the common good. I ask that you uphold your values.

 
Most sincerely,
A concerned patriot

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