September 6, 2022

Dear America,

Today, I write this as an American, apolitically, yet with great concern for the state of our union. Many political minds have voiced their awareness of our country's danger; yet, I felt I must also express my concern. Our country’s history is not one without cyclically rising tensions; however, I would argue that today’s situation is unprecedented. Our values, our freedom, and our way of life are constantly under attack. As a nation, I fear that our citizens have become complacent with the rising cost of living, the violence in our neighborhoods, the corruption from our leaders, and the infringement upon our autonomy.

We cannot wake up every day and acquiesce to this way of life. The older generations realize this abnormality; but I fear it is my generation, and the ones below, that do not. Perhaps they’re afraid to speak against what is going on for fear of economic and social scrutiny, while others may not understand our country’s history and everything that our founding fathers fought for.

I think America is too powerful to be destroyed by external forces. Our greatest enemies are ourselves and if we don’t realize that, we will be one step closer to losing our freedom and our way of life. These divide and conquer tactics have contributed to our country's massive polarization and tribalism. Not only does this prevent us from realizing what the true battle is - authoritarianism versus freedom; but it also ultimately prevents us from realizing that we all are Americans.

They say every election is the most important one, and for every election, this is true. Every election cycle, we fight to move this country in the right direction; however, not every elected official proves to be the contender they passed themselves off to be.  We are getting to the point in our country’s history where, and I hope I am wrong, we might not have that next election. I challenge our current government at all levels, in all branches, and in both parties, to instead come together against the increasingly popular yet unequivocally unAmerican ideologies of socialism and communism.

We need a leader who puts not party first but the American people; someone who can deduce and synthesize what America represents and what it needs going forward.  We need a leader who can, unabashedly, stand up to the political bureaucracy and threats from foreign nations, while demonstrating his or her capability to protect freedom. This leader must represent an opportunity for hope and change, but with ample experience, and connect with all generations to help revive this nation and guide it towards prosperity.  Above all, they must put America first.

Unfortunately, winning an election is neither the start nor the end of this journey. The true challenge is unification. To do this, we must educate the younger generations on what it means to be free. When I was in school, we were taught that to be an American citizen means we have privileges the rest of the world is not offered, no matter our race, gender, or creed. Freedom was synonymous with America. Children no longer learn the American values I learned. We must restore this American way, which means, yes, acknowledging our country’s imperfect journey, but also being proud of the long way we have come.

The adage goes that every civilization comes to an end; and, with America’s every failure, they move the clock’s hands closer to midnight. They don’t need to be right about America. If we educate our citizens on America’s journey, so as not to repeat our mistakes, we can save our nation from the fate that so many other great civilizations have succumbed to. Ronald Reagan said it best, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” (Reagan, 1967).

The only way to guarantee our grandchildren’s freedom is to educate our children.

I love America, and I want everyone to love America in their own nuanced way because the beautiful thing about this country is that we are all allowed the freedom to express ourselves and, in turn, the opportunity to prosper because of it. May we all be afforded the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Signed,

G.S.P