To the Fourth

Happy Independence Day, America! Today is a day when we declared to become our own country with the promise to be a land of the free. Home of opportunity for anyone. A country to show what freedom looks like and model democracy. Though I want to celebrate this glorious moment, I find myself hesitating; wondering just how free Americans really are.

We are a country where people are allowed to follow the religion of their choice, regardless of Christianity embedded in American culture. Our society is heterogenous, permitting a variety of cultures to amalgamate. However, there tends to be one more prominent than any of the others. Ultimately, this means freedom is given to one group of people over the other.

To begin, men have more freedom than women. For example, many states have released, or will be releasing, anti-abortion laws. This means, if a woman were to become pregnant, she may be forced to give birth to a child, regardless of her financial status, health, marital status, etc. In America, most women have lost the right to determine what is best for their body. Welcome to America, women.

Secondly, for people who want to live authentically, 2023 has provided an overwhelming amount of anti-trans bills. Most of them targeting participation in sports. Some states have gone as far as to strip health care away from any transgender citizen. Keep in mind, living as a trans-person affects no one. It brings only joy to the person who decides to transition. Depending on where you reside, you have lost your American right to the pursuit of happiness, if you choose to live as your authentic self.

Speaking of equal rights, with the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of a web designer who refused to work with same-sex couples, it could be the beginning of other business depriving services as well. While most people will say, “you have the right to love whomever you would like,” it becomes difficult to believe the sincerity in that statement when businesses can decide whom to serve and whom to ignore. To all LGBTQ citizens, congratulations, I hope you are happy with the person you love because you may have just lost the freedom to access services and business depending on whom they want to serve.

Lastly, the land of opportunity is no longer for everyone, either. The Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action shows higher education may be more for one race than the other. Your freedom to become better educated may also be in peril, unless your family can afford to pay your tuition. You are more than welcome to student loans, but that is if you can earn acceptance to an elite educational institution. To all minority students, your choices of colleges may have just become limited.

In comparison to other country, I know America may be better, but for a country who was the destination for so many people, it seems we have gone backwards on the steps of progression; transforming from a democratic country to an aristocratic one. The power to shape our country is slowly being stripped from the hands of her people by the power of wealth. The affluent is ensuring people of color, and those who wish to follow a different faith, need to be isolated. We are currently a country with an indirect democracy, but that system becomes ineffective when voices are stifled by political powers to maintain control over a state, or even a country.

I would like to feel joyous about the fourth of July and celebrate freedom for all Americans, but I remain hesitant, knowing that there are so many human rights being restricted by inequitable bills and laws.

To the Fourth.