America doesn't seem to be built on conservative ideology. I mean modern American conservative ideology that breeds Tea Party sympathizers. Conservatives love to claim that their values are oh-so-American and in line with the constitution. But what are core American values? Because the way I see them, they don't align with conservative policies.

The Declaration of Independence and Constitution represent the core ideals and values of the United States, at least in theory, and people maintain that we should stick to those ideals the US was built on. America's values were based on freedom, rights, equality, and democracy. Those values represented a massive shift away from conservative England. Both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were built on and borrowed from the political philosophies of Locke and Rousseau — Locke's describing libertarianism and Rousseau's describing liberalism.

So, if America was built straight from libertarian and liberal political doctrines, why are conservatives adhering so strictly to the Constitution? I know the idea of conservatism has changed, but aren't progress and human liberty still some of our most important values? The US was built as a reaction to a political system with outdated values that didn't give citizens enough human rights and liberties, so shouldn't we keep checking for outdated values that might limit our current rights and liberties? Wouldn't it be more American to keep trying to progress and strive for true equality and better democracy? Instead of sticking to "how we've always done it," why not think, "We've always valued moving forward"?

Wouldn't it be more American to ensure that every person has the power and voice to say if their human rights are being infringed upon? If each American is equal, why do we ignore Americans who tell us that their rights are violated? Doesn't that go directly against the constitution and American values? Every person is equal and therefore deserves the full human rights any other has; they deserve their concerns equally represented and weighed, not overlooked and breached, otherwise, we do not have a democratic government system, and we’re not meeting our core values.

We don't progress until we realize that some old, outdated beliefs breach the rights of certain groups of people. We aren't adhering to the ideas this country was built on when we impede progress and deny rights. We're un-American if we can't adequately and fairly represent our citizens. At a glance, you may even argue that all people are equal and have the same rights; everyone has an equal right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. If you argue this, though, you're seriously wrong, or maybe just floating on cloud nine of privileged delusion.

Low-income Americans are pushed through significantly worse schooling systems where even the brightest and most hard working student could never have the same chance as an unmotivated, lazy Exeter student with parents wealthy enough to hire private tutors. YET Conservatives will tell you to work harder. But, where can you really get when the public education system (which conservatives wish to lower funds for) is bent on making you fail? The public schools you can access are underfunded, crowded, and poorly taught. You may be the top of your class, you may get into college, but could you afford to go even if college were free? You would be a full-time student and work to support yourself while doing the best you can in class. That is if you don't need to support your family. But college isn't free, it's a huge financial burden, a huge financial burden the wealthy Exeter kid won't be weighed down with. By the way, the Exeter kid who worked nowhere nearly as hard as you did (hard work! a conservative value!) probably got into a top 50 college you'd never dream of getting accepted to. The cost of college and unequal opportunity excludes you from a chance to advance your education and gain better opportunities. You can starve or take out loans that will cripple you for many years to come (go ahead, add more to that national debt!). This all makes it hard to achieve that American Dream, doesn't it? Don't tell me everyone has an equal right to the pursuit of happiness when the entire system conservatives support makes it impossible for lower income individuals to ever access the same right.

Black men are disproportionately more likely to be victims of unwarranted police brutality, and more likely to be arrested and jailed. YET Conservatives silence the Black Lives Matter movement, ironically arguing that it excludes all other lives while ignoring the systematic racial profiling and the blatant disregard for equal rights to life and liberty. They say they don't want to encourage a racial divide while ignoring systematic racism and denying the divide that exists. It's not that they don't "see color," it’s that they just refuse to acknowledge injustice.

Muslims are seen as terrorists. Hispanics as drug hustlers and illegals. Conservatives jump to these assumptions so quickly for people who claim to "not see color."

Women are made disproportionately responsible for accidental pregnancies. YET Conservatives preach abstinence-only education, frown upon contraceptives, and want to kill Planned Parenthood. The pregnancy is your fault, even if we did all we could to prevent you from getting proper sex ed. Abortions aren't ok either, not even if you get raped, that means you're asking for it.

To conservatives: I could continue, I could talk about your flaming desire to pump up the military and your alarming indifference towards bombing innocent civilians. I could talk about how you, despite automatic approval of bombing countries in the middle east, can't even locate Iraq on a map. Does equality and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness not apply here? Do those values expire as soon as they exit the wall along the American border?

So where is equality, fairness, democratic representation? Don't tell me this is a level field where we all have equal rights. America was built on the idea of progress and fairness, yet you reject both with the same document that pushed for them. In your haste to assign values that neglect others' rights, you're disregarding the values of equality and progress, you're disregarding the very reasons this country was built.

I'm not one to cry about the constitution and "rights as an American citizen" when someone mentions moving forward with policy. You are, though. And if you insist on shoving the Constitution at me every chance you get, at least try to understand the irony. You repeat your own equal rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," but deprive others of the same with your ideals? That's perhaps the most "un-American" thing I can think of, and your party should not be pushing a document that represents freedom and equality when all you do is try to take freedom and equality away.

Conservatives are not what America represents. Maybe I'm missing something here? Enlighten me; I'm not afraid of being wrong.