“Make America Great Again.”
When did America stop being great?
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Sure, our economy may not be what it was years ago. Our unemployment rate, although declining, is still at 4.9 percent, seeing as that only 62 percent of adults in America are working. But we seem to forget that our country wasn’t founded on numbers and statistics.
Our country is a melting pot and for that fact alone, it is great. Turning away those in search of better lives is no way to enhance our greatness; this only emphasizes our weaknesses. In many ways, these people are keeping our founding principles alive and well.
The American Dream. This is what our country was founded on and this is what makes our country great. What makes our country not-so-great? Deporting every single immigrant who comes here in search of that same American Dream.
Instead of complaining about these people entering our country, "stealing our jobs" and threatening to "ship them home," we need to work on documenting them. Help them find the success they are chasing; this will make us great. They are the reason the American Dream is still alive. Quite honestly, maybe we should take some notes from these folks. Some of the hardest working people I know are immigrants. They make this country great, and to deport them would be a crime.
Aside from those chasing their American Dream, which, to many, symbolizes a new beginning and a successful one at that, people come from all over in search of religious freedom, freedom of speech, etc. These are qualities that show no statistics, and can only be measured by experience, not by the height of a wall to keep these people out.
Building a wall will not protect or benefit us. Simply put, we learn and grow from experiencing other cultures. How are we supposed to accomplish this by building a wall? Understandably so, American citizens fear hardworking immigrants. Their determination and strong cultural values give them a leg up on some of us. Since America is considered a melting pot, what is an "American value?" A country built by immigrants holds the values of almost every nation in the world. This is what makes it so great. A country like Mexico, for example, is deeply rooted in familial values and religion. In my opinion, we need more of that in our country.
I understand why people are pushing to "Make America Great," but I can't agree with it. To say that we need to re-make this country is to say that nothing about this country is great. In my opinion, greatness shouldn't be measured by the amount of money in the bank or the number of jobs created in a year. Yes, these are huge problems that need to be addressed, but they're not our only problems.
A country that once welcomed immigrants of all nations with open arms has quickly spiraled into the antithesis of this ideal. We’re scared of the success that these immigrants may find here, the same success that we want for ourselves. Maybe we could take some notes and learn not only a more stable work ethic, but stronger familial and cultural values which they have to offer. A country that shines of greatness like we aim to do, not only by virtue of economic status but, by our values and attitudes.
We should be building bridges toward those that can offer these values to our country, not building walls to keep them out
