With liberty and justice for all…

     We recited these very words every morning in school before we even knew what they meant.  And we wanted to believe they were true.  Until it wasn’t.

     Especially if you are disabled, poor, a person of color, a person in the LGBTQ+ community, or someone who is deemed in this country as, “out of the norm,” or a sociological person of deviance.  

      I was born and raised in the “great” country of America, where the streets are filled with red, white, and blue because we are so amazing, an inspiration to those around us and an example for developing democracies.  

      But, the system many praise, uphold, and honor is one built on the foundation of lies, power, and wealth. The rich are getting richer, and the poor are left to eat off the very streets we painted with our patriotism.  

     The government says your voice matters, that they will listen to their fellow American citizens and uphold this very idea of freedom for all. But I have never seen this demonstrated. The idea of our democratic government is one filled with corruption and lies.

      I am not choosing sides; I do not identify as a political person. I am simply criticizing the blatant contradictory statements and ideas that our leaders spoon-feed us to get our votes. It was never about the well-being of the American people, but of the money that those same people can make for them. 

     This country is not one of equal opportunities, and especially not one of justice. Although I can recognize that I have many freedoms that other people may never get the chance to dream about, we cannot continue to preach our perfection when we are far from it.  

     People in the United States owe at least $88 billion in medical debt according to Consumer Finance. The  leading cause of bankruptcy is medical bills. Many people believe this is because of those with no insurance “abusing the system” put in place to help them. Even if you have health insurance, you are not safe.  

     The National Library of Medicine defines the healthcare sector as, “one of the most corrupt sectors in many countries.” Driven by greed, those large corporations that are put in place to help alleviate the impact of medicine on the pockets of its beneficiaries are denying the needed support to its people, as this would lead to the loss of company money.  

     Healthcare companies can deny anyone coverage. Companies also can deny anyone applying to receive this insurance as well. The list containing reasons to not cover people is one that is long, ranging from the person having too high of a BMI to prior medical issues including mental health struggles. We preach accessibility for all and criticize those who do not have it when it is truly not a simple thing to receive. 

      Insurance companies can look through all the past medical records of their users. They use their records against you. Finding the smallest inconsistencies as a reason to not provide money to support you no matter how sick you are. 

      The government does not care how you feel, and it never has. The rich have all the power in the country and control the very ideas and policies put in place today. The average American does not and will never have a say in their rights and liberties.  

     The ruling force of American politics is money and profit. How the rich can maintain their income and luxuries is the top thing on the agenda, not how to feed the people on the streets or provide better income for our workers. The total cost of living in Maryland is $2155 for one person according to livingcost.org. The minimum wage is $12.50. You would need to work a minimum of 172.4 hours per month to meet this amount. This, however, does not take into account the loss of income from taxes, cost of food, medical expenses, and many other personal factors.

      This issue is deeply rooted, and without policies in place, it will never change. These policies also fail to be implemented because it is also these very people pulling the strings that control the power in our democratic and capitalist nation. The government isn’t controlled by the people, nor will it ever be. The average citizen has no say in their rights and freedoms that are preached as guaranteed.  

      For a country that was built on the idea of freedom and “justice for all,” it seems that this is the last thing on our politicians’ agendas. Do not claim the idea of us being the best country when there are countless people on the street being hate-crimed, discriminated against, and let down by the very systems put in place to help protect them. 

     Look around any big city you enter. Within a few blocks of each other, you see the disparity between the people with three Teslas and those who can’t put food on the table. You see the struggle of keeping the trash off the sidewalk of the fortunate only to dump it into Section 8 housing.  

     America was created on the principle of freedom and liberty. We continue to praise this about ourselves, deeming we are one of the few that allow our people to have rights. The idea that everyone in this country is created equal is false. The single driving force in America is not the people, but rather the income they can create.