This truly is a time that America has never seen before.
I mean, our current president is certainly unlike any other commander-in-chief we've had before, to say the least. Regardless of whether you voted for Trump or not in the past election, I think we all can agree that many of his actions since taking office have been quite unsettling.
Still, as frustrating as it is to see the faults of our government's leaders, I believe that there is something far more discouraging about the current state of our nation: the lack of unity among American citizens.
We don't seek for unity and standing together anymore. Rather, we want to be correct and prove others wrong more than anything else. For example, I saw a Facebook event happening July 1 called "Burn a Confederate Flag to Trigger Trump Fans Day” and am greatly disappointed that this event is actually happening. I'm upset not because I love the confederate flag, but because the primary intention of this event is to deepen the divide between liberal and conservative America. Instead of seeking to understand one another and be unified as a people despite our differences, we're burning others opinions for the sole reason of pissing each other off.
The irony of events and ideas like the above is that many people who shut down others’ opposing views—both conservatives and liberals alike—say that they preach a tolerance and acceptance of all people. However, tolerance should not only be limited to peoples and causes you support. To many, the term “tolerance” really just entails a compliance limited to people who share the individual's same opinions and views.
However, acceptance is either done all the way or not at all. If you are selectively tolerant and only accept some people as they are, then you’re a selective person and not an accepting person. This isn't to say that we all must agree with every single viewpoint of every single person, but you should be willing to listen to other people. Not listening to someone just because you don’t think they’re worth listening to is the mistake of an arrogant fool. You don’t know everything and there’s always something to be learned from everyone.
At the end of the day, of course we’d all love to be correct all of the time. However, if we really want the USA to progress a single, unified nation, then we need to put our selfish desires aside, be open-minded to opinions of all individuals, and stand together as one people in spite of our differences. We need to see every person as a fellow human who is identified by their humanity and character instead of by their political views, economic status, race or any other characteristic.
Personally, when I see the American flag, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride to be an American citizen. I know that statistically, we are nowhere near the title of “best nation on Earth” and we absolutely have so much room to improve as a country. Yet, so many courageous men and women—from our country's founding fathers, to representative leaders serving at all levels of government, to the valiant soldiers defending our nation overseas—have devoted their lives to contributing to the hope of a nation where people are considered citizens regardless of their varying views or characteristics.
In a time where many aspects of our country need restoration, the American people must stand together unashamed of who we are. Together, let’s put the “united” back into the United States of America.
