America is a nation that will let me vote at the age of 18. I can choose who I would like to be my next state governor or as president. America is the country where everyone must obey laws. America is a country of freedom. America is my melting pot. America is an ally that we can count on. America is the world’s superpower. America is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. America has its own failures. America’s leaders made bad decisions that continue to affect us. Failures like pushing Native Americans westward or not allowing African Americans to vote until 1965. It was just normal at the time. Most Americans were unaware that this was wrong. The ones that did make sure to be heard. Mayflower is the ship on which the Pilgrims arrived in America. The pilgrims drove the Native Americans out of their land to start their colonies. The 13 colonies that were founded originally were Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay. North Carolina, South Carolina. Virginia, New York. Delaware, Georgia. Maryland.
America has fought the government for their rights before. Sons of Liberty is a good example. Sons of Liberty, an organization founded in the thirteen original American colonies. The secret society was created to defend the rights of colonists, and fight the taxation by the British government. Also, there is the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence explained the separation of Great Britain. On the 4th of July, we celebrate the Declaration of Independence’s ratification. Patriots fought the redcoats during the American Revolution in order to be independent of Great Britain. The Great Depression, which began in America during the 1920s, was a global economic depression. Many farmers lost farms due to the Great Depression. During Great Depression the number of Americans without jobs increased from 3 to 25%. The wages of those still employed dropped by 42 percent. Americans were affected by dust storms early in the 1930s. Dust Bowls were severe storms of dust that affected many lives. Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the New Deal during the 1930s in the United States of America. It was a collection of federal work projects, regulations and reforms to the financial system. World War II created more jobs in America, which led to a decrease in unemployment rates. America has become a melting point because of mass migration. Ellis Island was one of the immigration islands, along with Angel Island. Upper New York Bay, on the East coast, is where Ellis Island lies. Ellis Island was founded in 1892. Ellis Island served as a gateway for immigrants coming from Great Britain and Ireland, Germany, Germany, and Ireland. Angel Island can be found on the San Francisco Bay’s west coast. Angel Island was founded in 1910. Angel Island served as a gateway for Japanese and Korean immigrants. My opinion of America as a melting-pot is based on the fact that it has a diverse population in terms of race, culture, and religion. America is the world’s superpower. Superpowers are countries with the political, economic, and military strength to immediately affect another country. Saudi Arabia and Israel are some of the American’s allies. Public schools began to take on the academic responsibilities in the late 1900’s. In the South, public education was not widely available until after the American Civil War. There are many universities in the United States of America. The United States of America has a variety of schools and careers. There are many different schools and careers.
The United States of America ranks as the richest country in the whole world. America’s unemployment rate is 4.1 percent, even though we don’t have a high minimum wage. United States of America consists of 50 states. New York is a major financial center on the Atlantic Coast. Hollywood is renowned for its filmmaking. The United States of America has the largest army in the world. United States of America spends 711 Billion dollars on the combined military branches. China comes closest with 143 Billion. In a conventional conflict, no other country’s military could cause as many casualties as the United States. Americans hold many different opinions regarding politics. The immigration ban, the legalization marijuana, the rigged elections and Donald Trump are the most controversial topics. I believe that our legal system is broken. The abuse of police power and misconduct is not limited to just brutality. Police brutality is often caused by racial prejudice. Racial profiling describes a situation when a person is judged to be more criminally inclined if they are of a particular race. Racial profiling involves making assumptions about someone’s race. Racial Profiling occurs when a police officer accuses someone of committing a criminal act, even though they have no evidence. Overuse of force is one form of brutality by police. Police brutality is excessive force. An example is Freddie Gray. Freddie Gray was arrested by police and died from a broken neck. He died behind the wheel of a police vehicle. Natasha McKenna. Mckenna’s hands and legs, as well as her four stun guns, were handcuffed. She was mentally ill. In jail, she was shocked by a deputy on another occasion. She passed away on the 8th February 2015. Falsely arresting or imprisoning someone without a warrant is a false act. If there is no probable cause. Even if the charges are dismissed, the person can still sue on grounds of false imprisonment because the arrest may not have been justified. The victim is unlikely to win. False arrest can also be defined as when someone arrests you without the authority to do so. False arrest is, for example when you rob a store and hold hostages. They won’t leave for fear of being hurt.
George Zimmerman’s bullet killed Trayvon. Zimmerman’s charges were dropped. He’s not in prison. Zimmerman contacted emergency services in order to report an unknown person. Zimmerman was told to stay in his car. Minutes later, neighbors reported hearing gunshots. Zimmerman says it was in self-defense. This case has caused a national uproar. TrayvonMartin was 17-years-old. George Zimmerman faced no civil rights charges in federal court on February 24, 2014. Police brutality is a problem that affects so many people. I believe there are many police officers who do a good job and have a positive attitude towards all citizens as long as they also do the same. We have officers such as Darren Wilson who murdered Michael Brown. Brad Miller killed Christian Taylor. Taylor, a 19-year-old young adult, played football in his high school Angelo State University. Or Chicago policeman Jason Van Dyke. One gun was used to shoot him 16 times. Or the officer who shot and killed LaTanya, a 36-year-old woman. He thought she held a gun when it was actually a cellphone. Timothy Loehmann did not shoot Tamir Rice for using a toy in a park. Black Americans only make up 13 percent. Black men have a nearly 3-fold higher risk of dying from police violence. Our government should improve the training of police officers. Police brutality has become a major political issue. When I say America, my mind immediately goes to police brutality. 91 percent are in support of reforming criminal justice. 43 percent say that the justice is unjust to African Americans.
What does the word American mean for me? Being American means having the right to vote in elections. Being American means that I can enjoy my life. To be American is to smile and lend a helping hand to an enemy. As soon as all differences disappear, being American implies that you are united. Being American is being dependable, trusting and giving hope to others. It’s not enough to be American, you also have to give hope. In the land where freedom reigns, you are free to be who you wish. Deep down, patriotism is what it means to be American. To love your country with a passion is to be American. Being an American means being a patriotic patriot. You can practice any religion that you choose as an American. To be American, you must be free to express yourself and to be loyal to no one. True American means to understand people. To be able to get along with others. Accepting the differences that exist between you. Understanding their cultures and religions is important to understanding each other. We are each other’s keeper.
To be American is not all good. America has the world’s highest rate of poverty. Americans are paid 10.4 percent higher than their female counterparts for the same jobs. To be American, you must live in a nation with the highest rate of murder. Is it good that America spends so much on its military? A country in which there are over 18 trillion dollar in debt is America. What does “being an American” mean to you? To be American or black means to question my worth. Will I be killed today by a police officer who sees me a danger? Will my hashtag be my name? Will my name be the next hashtag? To me, being an American means that.
