I Believe in the America of my Dreams

I am a natural born American, a patriot and a self-acknowledged idealist.  This is all I want of my country, a place where:

• Every child is raised in a loving, safe home, with adequate food, heat, access to clean safe water and freedom from sexual, physical and emotional abuse from family, friends and adult mentors.  Where they can walk in public without being groped or verbally demeaned.
• Every child has equal access to free, quality, inclusive education.  Where walking to that school is not running a gauntlet of fear. Where they are free from being marginalized and bullied once at school.
• Children don’t have to join gangs out of fear, or as a substitute for opportunities that society doesn’t supply.
• The color of your skin doesn’t affect your access to education, jobs, equal treatment by the law and every other institution in America or your life expectancy.
• we all can engage in thoughtful, respectful discourse on any subject despite the fact that we disagree.
• Sex, power, intimidation are not built into corporate power structures.
• There is hope for the hopeless.  Where we no longer have to resort to drugs, alcohol, suicide out of despair.  Most notably for Middle America and Indian Reservations.
• Everyone has access to healthcare.  Where your race or economic situation doesn’t mean an early preventable death, inclusive of infant and maternal mortality.
• The environment and its occupants are respected and cherished, not destroyed for economic gains, poisoning future generations.
• Everyone can make a living, and not have to work  until they drop dead on the work floor or resort to the sex trade.
• All are free from being trafficked.
• Children, the disabled, the retired elderly no longer live in poverty.
• Differences in culture, language, religion, gender, sexual preferences are respected and celebrated, not demeaned or forced on others.
• Knowledge is respected and cultivated.
• We acknowledge and treat Mental Health.
• Love for our country acknowledges and addresses our flaws as a nation, and uses this love to unite and not to divide.
• Families are actually treasured and supported by private and public policies so that people don’t have to choose between work and family.
• “Women’s work” is monetarily valued as much as “Men’s work”.
• Every life is treasured.
• We export “freedom” at the end of an extended hand, not a gun barrel.
• No one needs to “carry” because we all feel safe.
• Police protect and serve.
• Our immigration policies are inclusive of all, not just the educated and affluent; acknowledging our employment needs and need for future generations to support and care for our aging population.
• Reproductive rights and bodily autonomy are respected.
• The suffering of others is no longer a profit center, particularly in healthcare.
• We understand that we are now members of a global society and adjust and adapt to that, pioneering new technologies, embracing global trade, thrusting aside nationalism and protectionism, tearing down walls, not raising them.
• Everyone feels included in the Democratic process.  Elections are publicly, not privately funded. Everyone has equal access to the ballot box despite age, race or economic means.  No gerrymandering, voter purges, etc.  where we can trust our politicians, knowing they are working for the greater good of the country, not for political gains or partisanship.  Where bi-partisanship, communication and compromise are once again part of the political process, where the variety of our populace is represented in our elected official, especially our younger generations.
• Our Press is acknowledged for their part in a free and fair Democracy and valued as the “Fourth Estate”. We acknowledge that not all journalism is fake news.  That different perspectives are not the same as the difference between respected journalism and propaganda, sensationalism, fabrications, lies and opinion.
• Everyone is genuinely proud to say, “I’m an American.”  Regardless of zip code, creed, religion, culture, race, gender, sex...

Peace.  

Tarin Ann Vincent

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Copyright July