Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan has taken our country by storm. Trump is insinuating that America, once great, has fallen from its former glory, and only he can restore our once great country. At first thought to be a catchy slogan to gain supporters, there are those out there who truly believe that America is not only great, but never was in the first place.
Let’s set the record straight. America was, is and always will be great.
Not only does America provide freedoms that many people around the world could not fathom, we are blessed to have resources to live in ways that many don’t, and are able to help out our brothers and sisters who struggle. Although our government isn’t the most popular thing in this country, they do what they can to ensure the safety and well-being of as many Americans as possible. This quality in the government, though often underappreciated, is one reason why America is great.
As a capitalistic nation, Americans are in charge of their own destiny. We are given the privilege to put in as much, or as little, work possible, and we face the consequences and rewards for our actions. The sky is the limit when it comes to the possibilities for Americans. We can become doctors, scientists, business owners, politicians, and the list doesn’t end there. With constant improvements and additions, more unique jobs are created every year to choose from. We have the freedoms to define our own futures, unlike many oppressed countries around the world.
Of course, the basis for the claims stating that America was never great date back to times in our history that we aren’t the proudest of: the oppression of women and slavery, for instance. Also, many Americans believe that our nation’s constant involvement in foreign issues is unfavorable. Since neither one of these things can be classified as “great,” it is easy for Americans to conclude that there are spots in our nation’s past where it wasn’t great, thus agreeing with Trump’s slogan.
The United States of America is a country that developed on the premise of the “American Dream,” where each generation has greater benefits than their predecessors. Or in other words, we are always improving. So yes, women were oppressed in this country in the past. Yes, slavery and further discrimination occurred, but as time progresses, this nation continues to put efforts into reversing the undesirable characteristics of the past.
This is why Donald Trump is wrong and America has always been great: the constant changes and improvements to the quality of lives of the citizens of this country. Sure, the things that happened in the past aren’t the best, but the privileges that all residents of this country are guaranteed continue to grow. Instead of sticking with the faults of our past, we move past them and improve for generations to follow, just like the “American Dream” states.
