This past Monday was the celebration of one of the greatest American holidays in the nation known as the Fourth of July. Families and friends gather to host bbqs, hang out, and spend an evening under the night sky watching fireworks that celebrates the most important days in U.S. history; the day that it gained its freedom and independence. Although that day is a joyous occasion that is supposed to celebrate the U.S. and its people, it seems that for the rest of the year people act with the complete opposite of freedom and independence.

This year for example has brought up so many political and social issues around the nation that is tearing many people apart. The 2016 campaign has changed many people's opinions and has divided people in choosing a potential candidate to be the next U.S. president. There are some who refuse to vote for Donald Trump for his radical and incredible ideas on policies if he becomes president and some refuse to vote for Hillary Clinton for her case trial on her federal emails or because people say she has a shady past. Both sides of supporters bring out the worst in each other as people reduce to racism, violence, and discrimination to defend their opinions.

Very recently, there was a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, Texas where dozens gathered to express their opinion and views but four officers caught in the action were unfortunately shot and killed by two snipers in the area of the protest. Last month, there was a mass shooting in a night club in Orlando, Florida by a terrorist who was trying to express his "views" on U.S. society. Since all these incidents, people have now raised the issue of gun control and whether the government should enforce it or reduce it so people can protect themselves.

The U.S. is said to be the land of freedom, independence, and opportunity but all those factors also come with consequences as people can take the wrong meaning to all those words. There are fictional movies and books like "The Purge", "The Hunger Games", and "Brave New World", where society and government attempt to create the "perfect nation", but ultimately can make the nation much worse than it is. There is no perfect nation, or at least not yet, if this constant stream of events involving discrimination, racism, and violence continues to happen. Every societal issue can and should be handled in a effective way that does not harm people nor does it interfere with the rights they were born with as long as they do not misuse those rights and their freedom. If people do not change, we could be looking at the first annual Purge or the first annual Hunger Games.