Why I’m a Radical.

America may have failed me, but I won’t fail America.

We send children to schools so that they can become better workers. We ask them to salute a flag, no matter the sacrifice. They are to be loyal to this flag, to this land, because so many people died for it.

What did they die for? Did they die because they were fleeing persecution? Did they die because they couldn’t conform? Did they die because of their selfishness?

Instead of us learning to support one another out of kindness, we force each other into a never-ending game of monopoly.

My education failed me and my peers. That’s why many in my generation are considered “radical” by our parents. So many of us are waking up to see the American Dream being just that, a dream. Instead of adjusting to the times, instead of modernizing, we CHOOSE to keep playing a 400 year old game of monopoly.

I am angry with the constant apathy towards the condition of our country. “That’s the way it is,” is an unacceptable answer when there are people freezing to death on the streets of America, when children are going hungry because there is no financial benefit to feeding them. This obsession with the economy as a way to measure our well being is a cruel way to govern.

We can do better.

Our forefathers didn’t have the technology we have today. Why do we all have to work 40 plus hours a week and still be afraid of a hospital visit bankrupting us? Something is wrong. Until I see more change I will remain “radical.” We must do something about the vast inequalities in our society. If you don’t want socialism then you need to prove that capitalism will work for all inhabitants of this land.

We need to stop saying we don’t like politics. Politics is just another name for cooperation. As Aristotle said, we are a political animal. If you don’t participate, the country fails. This means discussing topics that make us uncomfortable. This means standing up for what we believe and facing the challenge.

We have to do better for our neighbors, our children, and ourselves. The future of our country depends on it.