Dear America,

The land of the free, and the home of the brave. I want to preface this by clarifying that I am grateful for you, and love where I am from. I love you, but you have some serious issues that need to be worked on much more thoroughly than they currently are. This isn't about one side of political opinions, values, or beliefs. This is about people ignoring proven facts simply because they do not fit their personal narrative.

I am beyond tired of the severe, and very distinct, division among citizens. It is impossible to share your opinion on any semi-controversial topic without being called every curse word in the book. Liberals are always labeled as "snowflakes", while Conservatives are automatically called "bigots". Nobody is capable of having a civilized and educated debate about anything without trying to be the victim at some point. In modern America, you have to be entirely over one side of the political fence to have a valid perspective. Having a viewpoint that falls right in the middle is unacceptable to both sides, and you are then considered unpatriotic. Not all Liberals want everything to be free, and they certainly do not all believe that the government should be completely centralized. On the other hand, not every conservative hates POC and is against equality. Political perspectives fall on a spectrum, which is something that many Americans are unaware of. By definition (in every political science textbook), Liberals tend to favor change while Conservatives are content with the status quo. These are simply the most basic structures of these ideologies. Nobody is required to believe every value that their party holds, so let's stop assuming that everyone does.

Can we also stop ignoring the fact that there is still far too much inequality for a nation that prides itself on freedom? In 2015, women were still only paid 80% of what men were paid, leaving a 20% gap. The median hourly earning of men was at least $4 more than that of women, in some cases it was higher. Not to mention the $6 average difference between white men to black men. Nobody is pulling the victim card. These are scientific statistics that need to be understood and discussed by both sides of the spectrum. There is no logic behind men being paid more than women for the exact same career. Pay should be based on level of skill, not on gender, race, or any other factor. Wages are just the tip of the iceberg of inequality. Pretending that we are all truly equal is ignorant.

We need to start peacefully communicating before we dig ourselves into a hole that we are unable to get out of. How are we supposed to continue being a world superpower when all 321-some million of us are shouting at each other, rather than listening and compromising? Americans get so caught up in being American that we forget to just be humans first and foremost.

It's time to wake up, America.