Kay's Korner
I am usually not the most patriotic of people, but since today is Independence Day I thought I should write something about it.
Every other day of the year, I mourn the state of the country and think only of what America could be if we fixed certain things.
Today, though, I want to celebrate the things that I appreciate about living in the USA.
We have the freedom to worship how we please, love who we want and speak up for what we believe in.
As a person who deviates from the “norm” in those regards, I appreciate being able to be myself.
Not everyone may agree with my lifestyle choices, but the law protects me from being discriminated against just because I choose not to worship a particular god or date women. Some countries do not offer that sort of protection.
Plus, when issues arise that citizens feel they need to say something about, they are free to do so.
The Black Lives Matter movement that is going on now as a result of George Floyd’s death may have been caused by something terrible, but it is a wonderful example of people exercising their right to speak freely about something that needs to change.
Sometimes speaking out is at our own peril, but here in the United States, the most anyone usually needs to worry about is offending someone else.
There will always be people that disagree with each other, but as long as our government punishes violence against personal liberties, I think we are a step ahead.
People in some other countries don’t dare express themselves or question their government for fear of the government itself coming down on them in retribution.
My general outlook is that different people have different lifestyles and need the freedom to express themselves and their views without being oppressed, and what is America about, if not personal freedom?
Americans have a lot of privileges that people in other countries do not have, but we still have a long way to go. I am not disillusioned enough to think that my country is perfect.
Just because things are worse elsewhere does not mean that we don’t also have issues that need to be addressed.
People have been targeted by their own police forces for peacefully protesting. Prejudice runs rampant and everyone feels victimized. Citizens are stubbornly ignoring health officials because they don’t want to be told what to do, even though wearing a mask is a mild inconvenience at worst. Politicians are corrupt and selfishly looking out for their own wants instead of the needs of the citizens they represent. Systems and policies that have been in place for a long time are outdated and need to be brought up to speed.
It’s no wonder that everyone is angry these days, but it seems that only anger can bring change. Everyone wants to idealize peaceful protests right now, but sometimes even those are met with violence.
Yelling gets others to listen, but right now there are too many yelling voices for anyone to be heard.
Regardless, this day is one that should be celebrated for the ideals that the United States was founded upon. It is a day to celebrate freedom from tyranny and misrepresentation, and I intend to treat it as such.
Kaylee Rush is a staff writer for The Snyder News. Coments on this article can be made at lifesyles@thesnydernews.com