“The greatness of america lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation but rather in her ability to repair her faults”. There are truths to this quote but i fail to believe that the greatness of America lies in its ability to repair its faults, we still have many problems today that have yet to be fixed. America has fixed some problems such as segregation, women’s rights and gay marriage, but should we really say America is great because we fixed some major problems, but not all.Yes we have fixed some problems but should they have happened in the first place if America is so great? Can we resurrect slaves that have lost their lives or make African Americans forget what they had to go through just because of their skin color? Some problems that still occur in America are racism, sexism and police brutality.
Racism is a big problem in America today, not just towards African Americans but also towards Hispanics, Muslims, etc. Racism happens almost anywhere you go, people think that others don’t discriminate anymore but it still happens. Arabs wear their keffiyeh as a part of their culture and there is always that one person that thinks all arabs are automatically terrorists. African americans can’t wear black shirts or hoodies without people thinking theyre criminals. One time my family and I went to the bowling and the manager told my uncle he couldn’t come in because he had a black shirt on. Racism can happen anywhere to anyone who is a minority and people think it’s okay. The government can’t do anything about others opinions, but if America is so great why can’t everyone coexist without being constantly discriminated.
Another problem that still occurs is sexism. Just like racism, sexism occurs everywhere towards women. Over 62 million girls are denied an education all over the world. American women serving in Iraq or Afghanistan are more likely to be raped by a comrade then killed by an enemy. The rate of sexual harassment reports is higher than ever. In 2016, service members reported 6,172 cases of sexual assault, compared to 6,082 in 2015. If America is so great why are women seen as weak? Women make sacrifices all time and they can’t get the benefits they deserve. Men often doubt women just because of their gender. If America is home of the free, women should be able to do anything they want without being judged for it.
Police brutality is one of the several forms of police misconduct which involves undue violence by police members. Police brutality exists in many countries and territories. For every 1,000 people killed by police, only one officer is convicted of a crime. Police brutality has been an issue as early as 1872. Not only were there incidents with African Americans that is a very major issue, but other ethnicities as well. More than 920 people have been killed by the police in 2015. They call it “the counted” which is an ongoing interactive research project by the guardian which tracks the number of people killed by police in the U.S. Police brutality has been going on for too long and it will continue to happen if nobody does anything about it.
In conclusion, the quote “The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation but rather in her ability to repair her faults” is an understatement. There are many problems that have not been fixed but can be fixed if we make other people think its an issue. People are living their lives thinking America is so great but we have a lot of problems that need to be dealt with. I hope my children can live an a America with racism, sexism or police brutality. If people who have the ability to change the way things are, speak up then America could start its path to greatness.
