What the American Creed Means to Me

In the atmosphere of today’s politics and a constant background noise of today’s news feeds, it is easy to lose sight of American values. Much like American citizens, the opinions held over certain issues are diverse, causing disagreement. I believe that regardless of differences, Americans share many of the same core ideals for their country. My most pertinent ideals of the American Creed are equality, opportunity and diversity. These values will help pave the way to a greater future nation.

While we are the furthest along in the journey for equality then we have ever been, there are certainly more battles to fight. The quote “all men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence, while today meaning everyone regardless of gender, for most of history only included men. Women have come tremendously far in gaining basic rights such as voting and being recognized in government offices such as the Senate and the Supreme Court. There are also great wrongs that still need to be righted involving other racial groups, minorities and countless other similar groups. America needs to lead the way as an example for other nations in the way that we treat every citizen in our country. We are the place of sanctuary that people seek in times of oppression by their own leaders. I believe that everyone should be treated equally regardless of gender, race, sexuality or religion.

I also believe that it is important that the United States remains a place where free speech is encouraged in times of unrest. I am grateful for the privileged to be able to disagree with my government and be able to peacefully protest without persecution. During the Gilded Age, greed driven business owners such as Carnegie and Rockefeller neglected laborer’s rights to clean working environments and reasonable work hours. These people fought for their basic rights by creating labor unions against larger business owners. They exercised their basic right to Freedom of Assembly by speaking out against treatment that they knew was unjust. These protests and assemblies are abundant throughout American history as a way to protest against unfair treatment effectively.

While these ideals can be easy to wish for and expect, what can be done to create as well as maintain these values? I believe that we as a nation should appreciate our ability to disagree with each other on issues that we are passionate about. You don't have to agree someone else’s view to understand that they have the same rights as you when it comes to expressing their opinion. There should be more respectful debates in order to help different sides of an argument be able to see both sides of the issue. We will never be able to learn from each other by yelling obscenities instead of debating in a controlled manner. I also believe that we should support organizations that advocate for equality in the world today. I believe that this will help our American ideals become a more powerful reality in the future.