Liberty in America

What is the social climate of the United States? Some debate that it is patriotism, while others propose that it is characterized by a lack of justice for lives that are thought not to matter. This truth that was hidden to some, yet visible to specific eyes can arguably be debated as the millennials’ current revolution. Some will debate that these injustices are willfully displayed and evident every day, while others believe that they do not exist at all. The real question is, are all Americans truly liberated?

The term “liberty and justice for all” is recited by children in schools throughout America during the pledge of allegiance. This phrase is memorized by children throughout the United States, encouraging them to remember a pledge that represents America as a country of patriotic liberty. To some, however, American’s liberty is seen as unequivocally absent to minority groups. At this moment in time, there is a civil divide about the state of equal rights. One mindset believes in the traditional system and thinks justice has always prevailed and has been upheld. The other mindset is that there is a need to strive to extend justice, where it is important to fight for civil rights and against police brutality, and campaign for women’s rights, lenient immigration policies, greater inclusion and more acceptance for LGBTQIA individuals. This spectrum of issues has been widely discussed as on-going problematic and systemic crisis. The question being raised once more is that if multiple groups are specifically stating that there are reoccurring injustice and discrimination towards them, is America truly liberated?

The idea that America is a great nation is due to the fact that it is considered one of the most liberated countries in the world. However, even in this country, it can continually be asserted that America is a country that provides justice for some, but not all, people. When Martin Luther King Jr. wrote: “In-justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, in the now legendary letter, from Birmingham jail, he was considered by some as America’s antagonist. That belief was held by a society that was comfortable with allowing civil rights to be justified for some people and not all people. This was a man that believed minorities should live freely, just like the majority citizens in the U.S. The idea that people can allow depravity to overshadow common decency is the issue that needs to be identified and considered. The awareness of which will bring an end to police brutality, which is just as valid as ending xenophobic behavior. A society cannot truly defeat one of these problems without acknowledging the other.

Furthermore, if this is an issue that the majority cannot relate to, then how can they identify an adversity that they are not able to recognize? If, indeed, this is adversity that the mass populace is not able to empathize with, then the whole system should be re-educated. If re-education is not something that the majority wishes to abide by or adhere to, then this lack of ability to comprehend injustice can quickly be reframed as turning a blind eye, which is the underlying meaning of Dr. King Jr.’s quote. The idea of ignoring one issue can indeed lead to greater destruction.

This leaves a minute capacity for adversity to evolve into a form of mass destruction which would then transition into problems for everyone. The lack of resolution for one problem will never remain a singular issue. This issue will then fester into a form of inequality for others. America is a general example; it can truly show that this is true even in a country that is considered one of the most liberated places in the world. If America could truly unite as one accord, it could be a true testament and example for other countries to identify the injustices in their own borders. It would allow America to wholeheartedly be the blueprint of having liberty and justice for all people.