I’m Still Proud to be an American

The past week has been a tumult of emotions. Whether you are happy or sad with who was elected, you’ve undoubtedly felt the impact of the results in some way.

I remember scrolling through my social media timelines the night that Donald Trump was elected and seeing so many hate messages. Some were directed at him, but a good majority of others were directed to people who had simply drawn a little line to vote for him as president. Why did they deserve the hate?

The following morning, my Twitter feed was inundated with pictures of minorities who had been attacked by Trump supporters and protestors who had shut down freeways and rioted and destroyed property. Regardless of who you voted for, as human beings we shouldn’t tolerate that behavior.

Discriminating against people just because they’re white is just as bad as discriminating against someone just because they aren’t white. Argue with me all you want about white supremacy, white privilege, whatever words you come up with, but discrimination is discrimination. It doesn’t matter who you discriminate against, DISCRIMINATION IS STILL DISCRIMINATION. Unless a specific person or persons harms you, there is absolutely no justification for you to harm them.

When the Constitution was ratified in 1787, the purpose of it was to guarantee freedom for everyone. Even though I’m a strong supporter of the U.S. Constitution, the original version did have some glaring flaws. Keeping blacks as slaves? Come on, that’s ridiculous and I am so thankful that the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th amendments were passed. Denying women the right to vote? Thank God for all of the suffragists who helped give us the right to vote. Not allowing gay marriage? I’m glad they can now legally marry who they want. I don’t agree with it on a religious level but it’s good that they can marry and spend their life with the person they love, not to mention get better tax benefits.

So although the Constitution does protect the right to protest, it protects the right to a peaceful protest. Think of Martin Luther King Jr. He is the perfect example of how a peaceful protest can change the course of history. Did you see Martin Luther burning effigies or destroying cars? No, because he understood the importance of doing things the peaceful way. So for those of you who are going crazy and rioting, all it does is make you look like a bunch of crybaby losers. I’m sorry, but that’s how it’s looking.

America isn’t perfect. News flash, no country in the history of humanity has ever been perfect. But America is still the best country the world has ever seen.

Here’s a little fun story. Even though you may see me and make assumptions about me, I’m actually Mexican and had my grandfather sent back to Mexico countless times after he illegally crossed the border into Mexico. Am I upset that he wasn’t allowed to stay in America? Was he upset that he couldn’t stay in America? No, because he knew the risk he was taking. But my Papa Ane didn’t come to America to have children and create an anchor baby. He very well could have, but he didn’t. he saw the opportunities that there were in America and he wanted to work and create a life for himself. My Papa Ane was finally able to apply for all of the correct paperwork and eventually was legally allowed to permanently move to the United States. Once he got here, he didn’t just sit around and wait for the government to help him out. He worked and worked to create a life that he was proud of and a legacy that he was proud to pass on to his sons. My Papa Ane passed away last month and despite his difficulties with making it across the border, he still thought people needed to enter the country legally. Through his hard work and his attention to the laws of the land, Papa Ane built up his family and made them successful. It was work but he managed to do it because that’s how important it was to him.

America has been and hopefully will always be the land of opportunity. No, it’s not a perfect society. Unfortunately, there still is racism. But not everybody is a racist! I know, it’s a crazy concept to wrap our minds around. Women still are not treated as complete equals of men. And although it’s not fair, there are other places in the world where women can’t even be seen in public without their husband or male relative, so I think women here in America have got it pretty good. I don’t know how many times I have to reiterate it, but America is not perfect. It’s not a utopia that Marx wanted but America is still the best country in the world.

But today, on Veterans Day, the animosity still lingers in the air. People are so caught up with their own emotions and hatred that they forget to thank the millions of people who have served in our armed forces. It shouldn’t matter if you agree with the war they fought in or not, these people selflessly put their lives on the line to defend your right to freedom.

So this Veterans Day, think about how much this country has been able to give you. Look up communism and socialism. It may look like a good idea, but read some stories of people who have escaped. Doesn’t seem quite like a utopia anymore, does it?

Yes, we weren’t exactly given two spectacular candidates to choose from for this presidential election. But we have to respect the fact that Donald Trump is going to be the next president of the United States of America. But if you still hate America and want nothing to do with it, feel free to leave.

That’s the beauty of America – you’re free, so you can leave whenever you want. Just don’t attack me, because I’m still proud to be an American.