Dear Mr. Donald Trump,

My name is Lizzie Perrin, and I am a college student in Georgia. I grew up surrounded by Republicans, and I typically have identified as politically conservative. Lately though, I have been embarrassed to claim any side in politics, much less the party you represent. I know I am not alone because I have already seen my peers lose faith in politics, and this is the first election many of them can even vote in. I have no idea who I am going to vote for in the fall.

I could write dozens of letters about why this is, but let’s start with all of the signs I pass in my hometown. Your campaign slogan “Make America great again!” implies that you want us to go back to a time when our country was better than it is now.

To this I must ask you, which time of greatness are you referring to? Are you referring to the 1990s when the AIDS epidemic was spreading rampantly throughout our country? Are you referring to the 1950s when people who looked like me could not even use the same water fountain as my white friends, much less be adopted and accepted by a white family? The 1940s when we were in the midst of a horrible war that resulted in millions of lost lives? The 1910s when there were virtually no child labor laws to protect kids and over half the population couldn’t even vote? Or even further back, when it was still legal to own a fellow human being? At first glance, your campaign slogan makes me cringe thinking about this. It is unpractical to imply that you have the ability to recapture some kind of fleeting concept of greatness in history, and it is insulting in its vagueness.

Let’s take a moment to elaborate for just a bit on your insulting methods. Mr. Trump, since you started this race, you have offended me as a Christian (who believes everyone needs forgiveness, though you called yourself an exception), an immigrant (who plans to contribute to this country despite your vindictive nature), a woman (who believes in not objectifying anybody based on gender, much less on national television), and a human being (who felt heartbroken after hearing about the Orlando shootings and didn’t post a smug tweet). You have contradicted yourself, embarrassed our nation in front of other countries, and have been flat-out callous. When I see something rude you have said pop on my news notifications, it makes my skin crawl. I cannot fathom how someone with so much hate in his heart can have so much support, and it makes me question the state of our nation.

Then I remember your campaign slogan, and it makes me want to thank you.

It makes me want to thank you because it reminds me of an incredible fact: America is already great.

We have the freedom to go to church without facing legal persecution. We have technology at our fingertips that grants access to endless information and communication. Voting rights are not restricted based on gender, class or race. We are constantly coming up with ways to fight off new diseases that only a generation ago were a death sentence. There are countless charities that offer compassion and care to important causes. We are more educated than we have ever been before. We can travel across the world in a matter of hours. In terms of leisure, we have an endless number of video games, movies, television shows, and books to entertain ourselves. The fact that I can sit in my bed and type this letter on my laptop to you is a testament to how far we have come in terms of technology, gender and racial equality, and freedom of speech.

Yes, I recognize the imperfections of our country. We still have deeply rooted issues including prejudice, sexism, poverty, terrorism, crime, and so on. I believe we are a flawed nation because we are a nation of innately flawed humans. But I also believe that we are a nation of innately creative, kind, and perseverant humans. That’s just the way God made people. This is why we should be focusing this campaign season on how to improve America. We should be making our country better by solving current conflicts, not going back in time and making it what it was. And we should do this by working together and studying these issues, not by bullying other people and bragging about how rich or well-endowed we are.

All of this is to say thank you, Mr. Trump. Your campaign slogan reminds me of how blessed I am to live when and where I do. Though there are a few bumps around the edges, I am thankful to be a 21st century American. Your slogan also reminds me of what I want out of politics: a joined effort of passionate and competent people to improve the quality of life for their fellow humans. It is my prayer and hope that other voters will recognize both of these as well. I think many already have. To conclude this letter of overwhelming gratitude, I’d just like to offer some advice and say that I wouldn’t be hiring someone to write my inauguration speech if I were you. I don’t think you will win the next election. I guess that’s because I have faith in a loving God and faith in our great America.

Sincerely,

A hopeful citizen with a grateful heart