How America Looks to Me

Donald Trump gave us his view of America last night.

My view of America differs.   I don’t think America is a dark, dangerous, downward spiraling country. I think we are filled with innovation, imagination, opportunity, and promise. I acknowledge we have problems, big ones.

A broken Congress. Racism in our streets and institutions, inequality of income, inequality education. Our women are denied equal pay and in many states autonomy over their own bodies. Millions are denied the opportunity for a good education due to reduced funding. The LBGTQ community is discriminated against routinely. 

This home of America is like a old fading yet beautiful building.  Maybe the foundation is a cracked, the carpets are worn, the gutters need cleaning, and a new paint job would help.  But it can be fixed.  The building is solid.  The lines are there and we can do it.

I believe in America, the America of our highest ideals. I believe we can tackle our problems and make progress.  I believe we can move toward our true American dream.  Our country, our way of life, our representative democracy is based on core values, inspirational ideals. Those of equality, freedom, compromise, and self-determination.

We have codified the tenets of those beliefs in our bill of rights—freedom of speech, religion, a free press, justice under the rule of law, the right to an education, to vote, to participate in our democracy, the right to bear arms and the right to a fair trial, all the values of citizenship and representative democracy.

Our constitution outlines a system of checks and balances between the three branches of government – executive, legislative, and judicial.  Equally.  It iterates the delicate balance between federal and state needs and rights.  The bones are there.  These values are dear and we have spilt blood more than once to defend them.  Have we lived up to them perfectly?  No.  Still, we continue to try and we get better as time goes on.  There is more equality, more transparency, more opportunity now than ever before. 

We practice those beliefs as best we, as humans, can and while we don’t always reach perfect adherence, we have a pretty good track record.  I believe there are enough people in this country that believe in those values.  Enough people who believe we can live up to the best of our intentions.  I believe we want to make changes in the criminal justice system, in healthcare for all, in women's rights, in LGBTQ rights, to welcome immigrants, to make our government work and work for us.  That is the country and its people that I see.