Dear United States of America

Dear United States of America,

Where oh where oh where to begin?

*sigh*

It's just...

*sigh*

I just...

I don't understand.

Or rather, I think I understand. It's just extremely disappointing.

So many phrases that get shouted and sang at the top of our lungs, several times during the year: Land of the free! Livin' the American dream! America's the place to be! We're number one!!" etc.

But I don't feel those things. Not anymore. With each passing year, each passing holiday (or any other day for that matter), I think to myself: "Just read another headline that involved yet another African-American being unnecessarily attacked and/or killed by a police officer" or "Got a Muslim name? Must be a terrorist" or "Women can vote but can't do anything else including have control over their bodies." I mean, it's 2015...TWENTY-FIFTEEN?!!? And we are still having all of these problems?!?!

And on top of it all, there is a presidential election coming up, and every time I think about the Republican roster and what they each stand for, I find myself wanting to cry myself to sleep, or punching a wall. I never thought I'd find myself saying this, but I would take McCain over any and all of those guys any day. ANY DAY AND I'M NOT KIDDING!

*PSA: Please get more informed about presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. He seems to be our only hope. ONLY HOPE.*

The current system of elected officials is already scary enough, just having recently defunded Planned Parenthood (I can't even with that right now). And the Republican candidates are more than ok with this, amongst other scary things (like building a wall between the US and Mexico). These guys are running for the GOP ticket. THESE GUYS?!?!

It's not even that I don't consider myself Republican (And I most certainly do not, especially presently). It's that not one of them seems to care about the actual people currently living in this country and wanting to better the life of its people (particularly the middle and lower classes).

Anyway, I worry about the future of this country, to say the least. So many people who are filled with ignorance and hate have so much power here, and that's terrifying. I'm not saying that everyone has to agree about everything. That would be unrealistic. However, I would hope that most of the people in this country would believe that everyone deserves an equal amount of respect and rights to life, etc. To each their own. Do unto others as you want done onto yourself. But this is not the case. Far from it.

I feel so unsafe, so unhappy here. And the people who are in power don't even want to fully acknowledge my rights both as an African-American and as a woman (in addition to my short, natural hair) living here in this country. We call this the "land of the free" but if you're gay, then they don't want for you to get married. If you're Muslim and/or possess a "Muslim-sounding" name, then you are the enemy and not to be trusted. If you are a woman, you have no control over your body; you are a man's prized trophy. If you are African-American, you are lazy and always up to no good, so to jail you go!

I tried to keep this post relatively organized but at the same time, there are so many thoughts that I have that keep tumbling onto the page through my fingers. Fighting to escape and be seen on my blog.

The lack of support and care just astounds me. Government is just a big business. It's not about taking care of its people, making sure that they are rightfully represented. It's about numbers, the overall revenue coming in. We aren't people. We are walking talking dollar signs.

And I really want to stay here, I really do! But at the same time, the overall quality of life here is so depressing compared to numerous other developed countries that lately I've been thinking more and more of just leaving so I can experience life as it should be. Or at least, maybe better than what I am here. Where you have to (most likely) get a loan in order to get the degree required to get the job that you need that doesn't exist to earn money to take care of yourself but you can't take care of yourself because you need money and in order to get money you need a job and in order to get a job you need a degree and in order to get that degree the chances are you have to apply and rely on loans.

*breathes*

Where is the American dream amongst all of that?? Please someone tell me, because I would most certainly like to be enlightened.

Sincerely,

A most concerned US citizen