A Dream... by Christopher Byrnes

230 years ago, our Constitution was formally put into effect establishing the modern-day apparatus of the U.S. government. 230 years ago, the apparatus of our government became controlled by two factions accompanied by coteries of American people. 230 years ago, our government and people became manacled by perpetual division. That perpetual division has yet to be thinned into compromise and unity in almost every political, social, moral, and ethnic aspect of American life. Each generation comes and goes and only allows the aforementioned division to prolong in our lives. Ask yourselves, will our generation be the one to initiate change or keep perpetuating the division that only multiplies with more and more revulsion, contempt, and animosity among the people of America.

Our founding fathers did not create this division via the Constitution, we the people made what it is today; a platform of division that carries revulsion, animosity, and contempt between sides. Our nation has been plagued with it since the very beginning and we’ve yet to notice it. We fail to develop any form of change while we further build up more division.  Every day, Americans engage in debates regarding social, ethnic, moral, and political aspects that can all be changed by a vote of our elected representatives. Yet, our elected representatives do the same as us. These debates form a blatant line of division and, in due course, cause revulsion, animosity, contempt, and many more negative feelings about the opposing side. Americans then take it a step further and create horrid arguments, accusations, generalizations, verbal attacks and insults, and many more issues between sides. My fellow Americans, say not what you know, but know what you say. The division soon grows, affecting millions. From a household, to a social media post, to the news, and to even Congress, the division prolongs and with each conversation, it grows with power. Our nation’s division dominates us, not our elected officials, who are also plagued by it.  No one bothers to take a step back and think about their words. No one bothers to appreciate the other side’s views. No one bothers to ensure what they say is true and logical. No one bothers to ensure what they say is not hurtful to the other side. No one has sympathy for the other side. Every debate is about winning and proving the other wrong. Our division only grows with that forming more resentment between sides. The creation of immature and verbal attacks, even physical, such as “Libtard” or "Conservadurp" has been created. Politically motivated shootings have occurred, affecting one Senator. Each exhibit how much more ruthless each generation becomes due to our nation’s divide. People are then classified into groups and attacked because of political ideals, beliefs, and much more. Just examine America’s political parties, now and 230 years ago. Consequently, each generation inherits a plagued society and only carries on what our ancestors once started 230 years ago. How can each generation claim to be apart of a nation that is supposed “United” when we weren't even united since the beginning? George Washington’s own cabinet was divided from the beginning and the members resigned due to their division. Since 1976, our government has faced a total of 21 shutdowns due to the major political officials being divided over key issues. Almost half of the total shutdowns, lasted for over a week and some affected hundreds of thousands of federal workers and those that rely on the federal government such as Native Americans. The nation becomes divided more and more divided each day. We are not progressing, we are regressing. 

I have a dream that all future generations will not inherit a society shackled and infested by division but rather one with compromise and unity.

I have a dream that all future generations will not inherit a society plagued with animosity, revulsion, and contempt but rather one with respect, appreciation, and civility.

I have a dream that all future generations will not inherit society where people are classified based on political ideologies, beliefs, and more but rather one without classification in any shape or form.

I have a dream that all future generations will inherit a true America; a free nation, a just nation, a vigorous nation,  a civil nation, a united nation… 

It’s time to step up and take the mantle. It’s time to change society for the betterment of future generations. It’s time to deliver the civility our nation so desperately needs. It’s time to abolish our nation’s divide and stand together as one. It’s time to act now.

America as a whole must learn to be more civil in conversation. America as a whole must learn to set proper examples and precedents for future generations. Our elected officials must do the same while striving for cooperation, compromise, and unity within our government. Those in the government must not surround themselves with people that think only like them, they must immerse themselves with people of all ideologies. They must not be stubborn and not strive just for their own agenda. America as a whole must be united. We are to be the generation to bring change, not let our children and their children and all those beyond, suffer unknowingly because our generation and those before us failed to develop any form of change.

Why do we allow our nation and our people to suffer? Why do we allow America to not reach its full potential of a free, just, vigorous, and united nation? America can be united culturally with our diversity if we reject this division. America can be a just, vigorous, united nation spiritually without division. American can be graceful and irresistible if we allow ourselves to incorporate justice, civility, cooperation, and compromise into our everyday lives, not just during crises. America can be what it was designed to be or it can maintain this division that will gradually tear us down, year by year, month by month, day by day, minute by minute, second by second. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is my dream. Now ask yourselves, will this be our dream.