Dear America Please Forgive America

America, land of the free, and the home of the brave. These two values laid the foundation for The United States. With that being said, these two principals are now vanishing from our country. Dear America, please forgive America. I pray for unity, instead of separation, and prosperity instead of failure. This country needs to come together to make this nation a better place, not just for us, but for the future Americans. There are five responsibilities I believe we owe our country and each other in order to bring America the prosperity it deserves. Respect, support, patience, selflessness, and forgiveness are just five great examples of ways to bring our country to a better nation to be proud of.

I was bothered by something significant as I watched the 45th Presidential inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. I realized that America did not seem like the land it used to be. It did not seem like the land of the free. It also did not look like the home of the brave. I saw a land of people who seemed hurting. They were in their own bondage. Self afflicted or not, they were mentally, emotionally, and physically tied down. I saw many people on television who seemed to be locked away in hatred and anger. I was haunted by pictures of individuals who did not show bravery, but showed cowardliness and disrespect. Pictures and footage of protesters destroying and vandalizing property was put in front of my eyes. Stand offs between civilians and police forces drew my attention. Where is the land of the free and the home of the brave? Dear America, please forgive America.

Respect means more than we think. Many people breathe hate and anger on one another. This never returns positive outcomes. We need to learn to breathe love and respect on one another. This will always bring positivity and healthy progress. I believe in equal rights and I believe in freedom of speech. However, rioting is not freedom of speech. Equal rights does not give you permission to vandalize. People want different outcomes, yet anger and hatred never brought positivity or change. There is no respect found in these situations. Disrespect will only return more disrespect.

I am not concerned or bothered if you support Trump or not. I am concerned and bothered by the fact that so many are lashing out in hate, anger, and disrespect, against a President of The United States. America elected Trump as President and there is nothing you can do to change that. Trump will make changes to our country. People will be affected by his decisions. His actions will have positive and negative outcomes. His opinions and actions will be accepted and neglected. With that being said, I have one question for you. Can you name one President of The United States who has not done any of these things? Name one President who has not been approved by everyone. Name a President who has not made poor decisions and who has not affected a country by his actions. Again, if you don’t agree with Trump, that is completely fine. I do not agree with everything he is doing either. However, you are in the wrong if you are disrespecting and hating on a man who decided to take action to be a leader for your country. Trump did not need a new career nor any new responsibilities. He was more than well off where he was. He campaigned for this position so he could serve America and help make it a better country. Perspective is everything. Don’t let your imagination destroy the image of others. Respect your peers and especially your leaders. Be grateful for our country’s leaders and know they are fighting for you, so stop fighting against them.

You do not need to completely agree with your leaders in life, but you better support them. A structure will not stand without the proper support. A leader needs just as much support as any structure. You are the support Trump needs. America is the structure. Without the proper support, the structure will collapse. Without the proper support, Trump will fail. A leader is only as good as his followers that support him. Trump needs you just like every other President that has ever led this nation. You shape America’s future. You are the voice that will invoke change and prosperity. Trump will not be the only man to make a difference in this country. We have the same amount of responsibility on our hands to change our land and to shape our world.

Supporting each other as civilians is equally important. If a structure is supported by four beams and one gives out, the three other beams will either struggle, or also collapse. Supporting each other is vital while living in a society. You choose your own fate and even each others. You have the power to knock someone down, or to raise one up. Use your strength to make someone stronger, and never let your weakness bring anyone down. Together as one nation we can be invincible. Together, individually, we are breakable. Lets choose to be invincible.

Patience is never easy but that is a given. Our country will not change for the better over night. The United States has greatly evolved over time. With that being said, America continues to evolve. While this country evolves and makes changes, we must be patient. There are two keys I have found that makes patience a whole lot easier to deal with. The keys include the potential and the promise. America has a grand potential worth waiting for. It also has a great promise deserving of patience. We look at certain individuals and we ask ourselves if they have potential. Everyone has potential. Some believe you can reach your potential. However, I do not believe that to be the case. In my mind, I believe you can always do more. You can always reach new achievements and goals. There is always a potential that is worth patience. America has that special potential. The exciting part is the potential which is blurry and unknown until reached. Be patient with yourself, your peers, your leaders, and your country. Our founders created a promise for this land. This was a promise to make it the greatest country this nation has ever seen. It is our responsibility to have that promise met and achieved. The patience involved is only temporary. The outcome is worth the wait.

Selflessness invokes courage. Courage invokes bravery. As Americans, we need to be selfless citizens that stand with courage. When walls are built up, we need to tear our walls down. Selflessness is not surrender. It is an act of giving. Serve your country with respect and in return it will respect you. Treat your neighbors with love and watch the outcome unfold. Be selfless in all you do. We live in a society that is concentrated on self. It is a “me” mentality. We look for triggers that benefit ourselves. If a situation brings us no benefit, we ignore it entirely. Lets focus on what benefits our country. Create the mindset of selflessness and endure it throughout every area of your life. That in itself will be a game changer. Your selflessness will invoke a courage that will captivate and uplift. People are captivated by different. Be the different. Step out of the norm and be selfless. It will not only change you, but our country.

The idea of forgiveness is a beautiful thing. The act of forgiveness is something else entirely. It is elegant, merciful, and promising. Forgiveness changes circumstances. It changes people. Forgiveness is healing. I would say it has a power that is underestimated and undefined. It fills an empty gap inside our hearts. It fills the wounds and scars created from hurt and pain. It mends relationships and it brings people together. Forgiveness brought salvation, forgiveness made a promise, and forgiveness set us free. It seeds redemption and it elevates us into new hope. Americans need to forgive Americans. We owe each other our support and friendship. I am tired of the hate and anger we all have towards each other. Let forgiveness mend the brokenness. I want to see my generation rise up and claim victory over hate and disrespect. The home of the brave is America. The land of the free is America. The territory of forgiveness can be America. We can change our country only if we truly seek change. Forgiveness will open the gate to moving forward as a nation.

Unity is upon us. Separation is behind us. Respect will mend hatred. Support will create foundation for our leaders. Patience will keep our hopes and promises locked away. Selflessness will bring out the courage inside us. Forgiveness will unite our country and allow America to forgive America.