Dear America,

We were founded on the belief that people should have rights and that there should be justice and equality for all. Of course, I can acknowledge the differences between 1776 and 2016 - like, you know, electricity and the fact that slavery was once legal. But I have to ask - what happened to us?

As a country, we've progressed. We abolished slavery, women can vote, and gay marriage is legal. And while these things are admirable, I can't help but question when things fell off.

First off, the amount of bullying in this country is outrageous. I thought bullying stopped after high school but as a country, we've proven we're nothing short of a bunch of 16-year-old girls. From the Kyrie/Kehlani situation to Beyonce's fans bullying Rachel Roy to the point that she had to put her Instagram account on private over an assumption. As a country, we idolize how shady and petty people can be and though it's slightly humorous, it's gotten out of hand.

As we elect our next President- why is Donald Trump leading the polls? Are we really going to let a racist, bigoted business be the figurehead of our country? Mind you, this is someone who insinuated that "something else isn't small because his hands are small" in the middle of a national debate. With the way things are going, I suppose he would be the appropriate figurehead of the United States. I would hope that we're better than this as a country, but I'm starting to feel discouraged about that.

Since when did we care so much about celebrities? We idolize them. I know more about the relationships between our celebrities than I would like to know. Why do I care if Meek Mill and Drake have a problem? Why are they making songs about it? Why are people seriously involved in this? Don't we have more important issues to worry about - like maybe the economy? Or maybe the fact that someone that is leading the polls wants to build a wall between the United States and Mexico?

I can't help but think that our founding fathers and ancestors would be nothing short of disappointed.

In the last few years, we've had a Black Lives Matter movement - why is that even a topic of discussion anymore? Why is it that 150+ years after slavery this has to be reiterated? Why is there still gender inequality? Why are people arguing over LGBT rights? Everyone's life matters equally regardless of who they are or what they believe in.

All in all, America, I'm afraid for what's to come. We've been falling off for a while now and it's concerning. With the current situation, I'm afraid for the next generation. It's not too late to fix things, we just have to put aside our personal beliefs and find solutions that are all inclusive.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Citizen.