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
to happen again. It would be painful to watch this country backpedal to where we were in the 1960s, instead the next generation of Americans shouldn't let the skin color of anyone else affect what they think about them.

Not only do I envision Americans being completely equal in terms of race, I envision complete equals between men and women.
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
equal.

Race and sex aren't the only inequality battles I want America to overcome. Recently LGBTQ issues have been coming to the forefront of the news with topics like the Supreme Court making same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states and Caitlyn Jenner's transition. With the increased media attention, there is more support for this cause, but there are also more people discriminating against them. The America I imagine doesn't necessarily have to agree with their views or actions, whether for personal or religious beliefs, but they still respect them for living life the way they feel most comfortable. To put it simply, no one has to fear for their safety because they decided to live as their authentic self. America has always been full of diversity and always should be.

Talking about equality is one thing, but really living it is another. With the laws we have in place, we are all equal, but that doesn't always translate to society treating everyone as equals. People still discriminate against others for differences, and to me that's not what America is all about. Our nation is about giving equal opportunities to everyone and respecting people for being unique. My vision for America is that both current and future generations shouldn't ever to worry that they may be in danger or judged because of who they are - inside and out; an America that truly has "liberty and justice for all".