American Creed

The American Creed is what has made this country so great, even if it seems that sometimes it is disappearing. People have their own definitions for what it means to be an American but I think we all want the same thing, to be united as one people. The news media constantly blows the amount of violence and hatred towards a certain race or group of people out of proportion, just so they can boost their ratings. They make it seem like we are more separated as a country than we were 60 years ago, and it can be hard for some people to think clearly as a result.

One thing that would make our country more united is if the news remained unbiased, instead of trying to push their political agendas. The television rarely even broadcasts real news anymore, just politics. I almost never watch the news on tv as a result of this, mainly following unbiased news accounts run by private individuals on social media that actually post worldwide events. One of the main things about televised news stations that annoy me is when the host invites someone who disagrees with their views on to speak, and they never actually give them that chance. As soon as the guest starts talking about their conflicting views, they are interrupted and yelled at. This goes for all news stations, not just CNN or Fox, and is actually the main problem that I have with people “talking” about current hot issues in the United States.

There is no talking anymore, no civilized conversations, and no middle ground when it comes to the issues put up for debate, at least when it comes to people higher up in the political chain. Usually if someone shows another individual facts, that person gets defensive and hides behind the use of vulgarity. Often, they have no real argument for their side, with no facts to back themselves up. Unfortunately we live in a time where emotion is used in arguments and to pass laws, instead of actual facts and statistics. Do I think we will continue to act like this in the future? I really hope not, and there are actually individuals who don’t do this. One great example would be a debate fellow high school students and I had in my economics class about the 2nd amendment and whether or not we should have more or less strict gun laws. I wasn’t sure how it would go, as this is a very hot issue in the United States, especially considering my friend and I were representing the NRA. This isn’t a very well liked group by the opposing side. To my pleasant surprise, we all had a civilized conversation about the issue. Instead of just yelling at us and telling us we were wrong, people asked questions and were eager to learn more about the current laws. When we gave them facts, they didn’t use anger as a weapon; they were happy to know more. We each talked about our own concerns and discussed how we can proceed as a country in the future.

The conversation that was had in my economics class is the type of conversation that people all across the United States need to have, if we ever want to get anywhere as a country. If high school students can actually speak freely to each other and exchange ideas, then why can’t other people? We all want what is best for the country and ourselves, so we need to all sit down and listen to one another.