“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These are words we’ve all been taught since we were old enough to play with blocks in school. Words that are now 239 years old. Words the country still doesn’t live by. What does it mean to celebrate the Fourth of July when these words still are not true, still are not lived by?
That’s not to say that all Americans are failing to promote the values upon which our country is founded. Soldiers fight to protect these rights. Teachers fight to do the best for their students. Activists fight for what they believe in. A lot of people do a lot of fighting to see our country get to where it needs to be. In fact, I’d argue that the people who just assume our country is perfect, the people who don’t think there is anything worth trying to change, the very people that claim to be the most patriotic, are actually the ones who are doing their country the most harm. To try to improve something is to show the world that you care enough to fight.
So, here’s my point: to protest is to be patriotic. Our very first act as a country was one of protest. The entire Declaration of Independence was a petition of sorts, and what an amazing petition it was. Notions of equality, inalienable rights, liberty—these are the reasons I’m proud to be an American. So now, as we celebrate the birth of our nation, I have another declaration of independence for us. Just as Jefferson listed his grievances in the Declaration of Independence, I list my grievances with the country here today. These are things that I want to see fixed because I love my country, not because I hate it, and I’m definitely missing a lot of things. Feel free to add your own in the comments below. In the meantime, let these facts be known to a "candid world" (to quote the Declaration):
We have allowed our incarceration rate to rise above all the other countries in the world.
We have children as young as 13 that have been sentenced to die in prison.
Black men are six times more likely to be incarcerated by their white peers.
It is estimated that one out of three black men born in 2001 will be incarcerated in some form.
At any one time, approximately 10,000 children are living in adult jails and prisons.
Children in adult punitive facilities are five times more likely to be sexually assaulted than they would if they were in juvenile facilities.
There are 100,000 or more children locked up in juvenile facilities in America.
Zero-tolerance policies are turning minor instances of misbehavior into crimes in schools, creating what some call a school-to-prison pipeline.
There are 784 known active hate groups in the United States, a number that has increased by over 30 percent since 2000.
After Obama was elected, the number of “Patriot” groups (the name given to groups like the domestic terrorists responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing and including armed militia) went from 149 to 1,360—an 813 percent increase.
In 2012, there were 25 anti-LGBT homicides—73 percent were people of color and 53 percent were transgender women.
In the first two months of 2015, five transgender women of color were murdered.
Compared to 4 percent of the U.S. population, 15 percet of transgender people are living in poverty.
Out of all homeless youth, 20 to 40 percent are LGBT.
Even after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality, the LGBT community still faces discrimination in areas including housing and employment.
Yes, I love America. And that’s why I want things to change.
Want to learn more? The majority of information for this article was from the Equal Justice Initiative and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Look up these organizations to learn more.
