Inequality In America

Way back in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was ratified. The men who it signed had a vision for a new country; a place that would be ruled by democracy and somewhere that people would be able to express themselves freely. At 14, I can hardly match the experience and knowledge they had, but I can still have a vision for America. I want people to be themselves and not worry about potential hate crimes for their identity. I want my sons and daughters to grow up knowing they can do whatever they set their mind to. I want every American to be able to walk into a room and feel truly safe knowing every single person there respects them for being the person they were born to be. I want my children and grandchildren grow up in a world where the word "equal" really does mean "equal".

Even today people are being judged by the color of their skin. Cities such as Ferguson, Charleston, and Baltimore are all at the center of what has become a huge national debate recently. Slavery ended 150 years ago, yet we still have riots for black rights and shootings born out of racial hatred. All Americans are guaranteed equal rights no matter what their ethnicity is, but we wouldn't have this problem if all Americans truly believed that. America has already fought against itself to end this issue, and I don't want it
Just recently the ban on women fighting on the front lines was lifted, but our country still has some progress to make. According to www.whitehouse.gov, American women only make 78 cents for every dollar a man makes. It might seem like a measly 22 cents, but that number snowballs into a large amount fast. As a young woman, I feel just as capable as any boy, and I don't think I'm alone in that mindset. Gender equality would mean women being valued the same as male counterparts and children growing up viewing the other gender as