Unity is a term of relativity, in some cases, it can mean an agreed upon medium of sociality. In other cases, it simply means to be in agreement. In the case of America, it’s perceived as a truthful motto, something to rally behind and agree upon. Despite what the nation thinks, I would argue that unity in America is more of an idea than a truth.

Freedom, another principle of the modern American infection, is a term given to the allowance of press, free speech, and democratic practice. Despite these claims, freedom is seemingly ill-defined, and seldomly effectively applied.

The idea of American unity in no way fits with the actual definition of unity. To quote Merriam-Webster in it’s definition of unity, “The quality or state of not being multiple.” The United States – as it likes to be known as – is anything but united. Differing and conflicting political opinions run rampant, hate and prejudice are a daily struggle, and unity is a thought unfamiliar to those in power.

Freedom is known to Americans as a privilege, one that the autocratic evils of yesterday did not allow. Springing from this hate of human greed, is an American headrush of belonging; one that is supposedly given to anyone and everyone who resides in our country.

In practice, a very small percent of the nations residents are given this freedom, and when around fifteen percent of the population is actually free, is freedom even a term applicable to our country? The hate for people other than the majority is a practice ingrained in American culture for far longer than appropriate. Even today, fear of communism and socialist values is a constant, one that stems to the hate of former political refugees. When injustice is handed out by our politicians, and political parties would rather win than help there people, is there any unity in that? Any freedom? Perhaps instead of treating the downtrodden as the problem, maybe we can help them? Maybe we encourage morality, instead of defending and protecting those who are absolutely, decidedly in the wrong.

And maybe we can believe in the validities of claims of sexual assault, mental illness, and general mistreatment. Treating those who struggle as the root of the problem is a general fallacy, one that is easily remedied, yet steadily ignored. Laws and their enforcement provide a baseline for what should be followed, yet they prey on those who don’t have any other options than to break them, while their benefactors remain in comfort and majority.

This logical mess is what the modern America faces. Not something so easily fixed, but not something to be ignored. Where will the world be when those who have resources to help others actually do such a thing, and where is it now? Where is the freedom that those who disagree with the preimposed norm lie? Where is the unity that the Declaration of Independence so deeply called for? Unjust truths such as these are what our country now faces, and if we falter before them, the face of our country could become so undeniably befuddled that we lose any such coherency and identity we once had.