Essay Sample about Highs and Lows of The USA

As America has been portrayed as “the best country in the world,” we are not fully living up to that expectation. Over the course of 243 years, the United States has had numerous highs and lows. From equality rights, the progression of racial equality, and the strength our country has after hard times, there have been great things to come from the United States.  However, we are still lacking. Coronavirus, racism, and gender equality are all major issues within our country. Do we want to raise our future generations in a country we do not even want to live in? If these issues go unsolved, an irreversible decline may result. 

The pandemic came upon the world very quickly. In an ideal world, we would have handled it properly and it would have been over or very controlled by now. Countries that handled it properly do not have to deal with the major problems that the United States is now. Our country did not take social distancing seriously, which resulted in high numbers of cases and thousands of deaths. Along with social distancing, mask mandates and the vaccine also are not seen seriously. While these options are scientifically proven to help limit the spread, many will argue that these mandates are unconstitutional. They argue that it is a violation of their 1st Amendment rights: the right to liberty and privacy. I do not believe that mask mandates are violations of our personal rights. The 10th amendment gives power to the states over the things the federal government has no control over, which means state governments have the right to mandate masks. I believe in what is morally correct, and if that means having to wear a mask to protect others, then I will do so. I believe that vaccination works, while others may not. The vaccine is a personal choice, but I think that it is worth getting. If this is not controlled, many fear that the well-being of our country is in danger.

In the last 20 years, we have seen many disputes between race and government. George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are two examples of extreme police brutality in our country. Both cases contained two black individuals who did nothing wrong, yet were brutally murdered. Numerous riots and protests occurred from these, with millions of people trying to get the justice they both deserved. The officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck was convicted with manslaughter, while the others were charged with aiding and abetting. Only one officer was convicted of a crime in Breonna Taylor’s murder. While our country has made so many steps forward, we always take one more back. Things like the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, the Civil Rights Bill, and numerous other things are all great things that protect the rights of African Americans in the United States. So, why is it that we have all of these laws and acts to protect these people, but they still live in fear? Why should they have to live scared of the people who should protect them the most? As it is the 21st century, no one should be in fear of their life. The lives of every American citizen should matter equally, no matter the color of their skin. Racial profiling and racism as a whole are cancer to our society, though it should not be an occurrence at all. I do not believe that it is okay that innocent African Americans are discriminated against and are murdered all because of their skin color. The country has got to do better, for the people, and future generations. 

Throughout history, women have always been seen as lesser than men. In American history, women had to fight for their rights to own property, vote, and equal pay. When we hear the phrase “women's suffrage,” many think of the 1920s. This was when women were taken more seriously, now given the right to vote. They had more freedom overall, especially at work, at home, and in public. However, this was not easy to achieve. Many women worked hard on this. Susan B. Anthony, for example, was a women's suffrage activist. She worked on petitions and even urged congress herself to pass the 19th amendment. When the 19th amendment was passed, it stated that no citizen could be denied the right to vote based on their gender. This was a huge win for the female gender. As we have made great progress on the rights of women, we are still not where we should be. A major issue in our country is the wage gap. Why is it that a man and a woman can go to the same years of college, pay the same amount of money, and have the same job, yet the woman still gets paid less? A study from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2020 found that women who work full time make about 82% of what a man who works full time would make. That is an 18% difference for two people working the same amount. I know personally I do not want to have the same skills and schooling as a male, but get paid significantly less. The Equal Pay Act makes it illegal for this to occur, so why is it still happening? This is not fair to the women in our country who work so hard for their jobs. 

So, this leaves the question; America, where do we go from here? From racism to a pandemic, and gender inequality, our country has seen it all. These issues are very popular topics within our country. The United States government and citizens need to take action and reverse the decline our country is going through. We can only go up from here.