Upon the upcoming Presidential race, presidential candidate Donald Trump coined the term "Make America Great Again" in order to incite fanfare over voters tired of the Obama administration and fear a possible Clinton administration. Although this phrase is used as propaganda that gas stuck well with Americans, I believe it is offensive.
"Make America Great Again" implies that America is not great now. One may argue that under the Obama administration, the state of the country has gone downhill. There are definite points to this argument that I could agree with, but I believe that the Obama administration or any politician for that matter cannot completely influence the state of American affairs. Don't get me wrong, I am neither hating on Obama or Trump, but I am pointing out that this country is more than its politicians.
America is the world hegemony, meaning that it has the strongest military and economy. Other countries look to the United States for how to dictate their own foreign policies. The U.S. is regarded as the worlds' police. The United States is founded on liberties and protections of the American people. Our government gives the people a say in who will run our country.
Although America undoubtedly has its flaws, it is still the greatest country in the world. I live in a place where I can speak freely whether it comes to religion without fear of being killed or persecuted. I live in a place where people are free to vote however they want We can speak out against any political person we want, or not vote. America has so many liberties that are often taken for granted.
This week I watched a Frontline Documentary called "Obama's War". This documentary sheds light on the Syrian Civil War and the formation of ISIS within Syria. It was eye opening to see the mass chaos that is occurring in Syria and many parts of the Middle East.
ISIS mercilessly kills hundreds of innocent people then releases videos of their beheadings, mass shootings and other forms of vulgar murder. These people are ruthless and have no remorse for their actions. They challenged countries all over the world, inspired people all over the world and have even killed an American journalist, James Folley.
In 2014, President Asad of Syria was using chemical warfare on his own people to strike down the rebellion against him. The Syrian Refugee Crisis was created because of this. It is unclear what the right route is to make the senseless killing stop.
So, when I say I am offended by the phrase "Make America Great Again" it is because, to me, America is already great. I can guarantee that if you asked any Syrian if they would like to live in a place like America, they would say "yes"
Should America focus on improvement both economically and domestically? Yes, of course. However, to say that America has lost its greatness is offensive to Americans, offensive to the people defending our liberties and offensive soldiers losing their lives at the hands of our government.
