Briana_D

I believe the ideal Democracy is one in which every citizen matters and has a voice, everyone can be heard, no one is left behind or forgotten, run for, by, and of the people - not for, by, and of the politicians. When I was younger, my teachers taught how great America is,how perfect our system of government is, with its 3 branches and checks and balances. The President was made out to be the perfect, old white guy who knew what was best. Now that I'm older and I can think for myself, I see how off the mark those elementary school teachers were. When I look back on the history of my country, some of it is undeniably awesome. Our founding fathers were amazing guys for their time, people like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Eddison, and other creative thinkers have made ground breaking discoveries and inventions; we were the first people on the moon, we have had leaders like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. But some it is undeniably horrific - slavery, segregation, the disenfranshisemnt of women, the Japanese-American internment camps, dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That is not Democracy and the work of the citizens of America – that is the work of the people in Washington DC who make our decisions for us. We elected them, but once their there we can’t take our decision back. Today, the economy sucks, there are troops over seas that most people want home, the health care and educational systems need reforming, the enviornment needs saving... But at the same time, there’s a black man as President, I have more freedoms than people in other parts of the world, I have opportunities to live the “American Dream.” Should that satisfy me? Just because I’m better off than most people, does that mean that I should settle for what I’ve got? I shouldn’t work to help the enviornment, the homeless, immigrants who can’t speak english and can’t become citizens, orphans? I should automatically adopt the views of my parents on religion, abortion, gay rights, not say anything when they make racist jokes that I don’t agree with? I shouldn’t try to change that there are politicians who do things for their own gain, not the welfare of the people? How can I fulfill my own American Dream and live the good life when there are problems around me, and people that need help? How can I sit by and not try to change the way things are when it’s obvious they need to be changed? I believe I can make a difference, America is a great country and I love it, but there are changes that need to be made and I should try and make them.