Patriotism Speech

In terms of patriotism, I have seldom been what I think of as American: conservative, unwavering and, forthright. When Trump’s campaign slogan first came out (“Make America Great Again,”) my first question was, “When was it great to begin with?” To be clear, I don’t hate the United States, I just can’t ignore all the things wrong with our country, like some people I’ve encountered. As a gay, mentally ill woman of color it’s hard for me to look past these fears I have. It’s hard to declare my undying love for a country where people hate me for what I am and have killed those like me.

I remember in fourth grade, we were learning about the Civil Rights movement, and my teacher showed a video of a demonstration where the firefighters blasted

America didn’t seem like the land of the free anymore, not that it ever really was. It was now the land of microaggressions, of a capitalist regime, thinly veiled racism, sexism, homophobia, and misplaced xenophobia, Islamophobia, and bias. I’m scared when my brother is out with friends because I can never be sure he’ll make it home. I am wary of disclosing that I am gay for fear of retaliation from others. I am made to feel not black enough because of my light skin tone, but defiantly not white enough because I’m mixed. Obama being elected into office didn’t change these things, but he made it better because most people were too afraid to be outright bigoted with a black man in office. That shifted when Donald Trump came into the picture. A man who started his campaign on the claim that all Mexican’s are rapists and drug dealers, and he was going to build a wall to keep them out became president. Why should they be afraid

It’s been a long process, from the suffrage movement to Dr. King and Malcolm X, to the nation-wide protests the day after Donald Trump was elected into office. The America I’d like to see is one that can really claim the name “Land of the Free.” In this current America, the only people who are truly “free” are straight, white cis-men. In this America, black and brown people fear police- the people who are supposed to be protecting their supposed freedom. In 29 states it is still perfectly legal to deny housing to members of the LGBTQ+ community. Donald Trump, the current president, mocks disabled people, and degrades women and gets away with it every time. He’s our representative to the rest of the world, and this what they see, instead of the hard-working people 99% of us are. Trans women of color face disproportionally high rates of violence, they are 4.3 times more likely to be murdered compared to other groups of people (“Addressing Transgender Violence”. Human Rights Campaign, 2015). The United States I’m fighting for is a place where people feel accepted and safe like my mom made me feel. The United States I’m fighting for, people can go outside without being afraid of not returning home or being deported and taken away from their family and the only home they’ve ever known. When everyone in the United States feels heard,