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It goes without saying that no country today is perfect. Each one wrestles with many local, national, global, and geopolitical issues that affect the day-to-day lives of its citizens. A melting pot of cultures and classes, America today is no different.
In this sample essay, the author describes the important problems facing the United States of America in this day and age. She examines the context of each issue and reflects on its implications on Americans.
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Current Problems In The U.S.
The American people then and today will always face a host of pressing issues that are relevant in their current context. With so many people of different ethnicities and cultures representing the United States, its people and government are bound to clash or have a disagreement at some point.
In this essay, I would like to identify some of the major problems facing America today. I believe that some of these have been around for the longest time but are only getting the attention they deserve in this day and age. I hope that in calling out some of our systemic problems, we would be willing to learn more about what we need to do to try and address them.
Men and women are not being treated equally
It is a sad fact that gender inequality continues to run rampant in American society today. In the workplace or even in government, leaders who are female continue to be judged and stereotyped according to their gender. In selecting a CEO, for example, if choosing between a male and a female, a male-dominated board would most likely select the male largely because they think a female might be too “soft” for the job. For the most part, majority of women today still have to work hard to prove themselves as “worthy equals” of their male counterparts.
The reality of racism continues to haunt us
Even after all we have been through pre-and post-Civil War, it seems many Americans still haven’t learned their lesson. The Black Lives Matter Movement today still calls out the continuing themes of black racism, as well as similar inequalities experienced by minorities of color. With white privilege plaguing many groups and spheres in America, and with most people still carrying with them false narratives of black people that are hard to unlearn, this is one issue that the country will probably be struggling with for quite some time.
Unemployment is the disease of the younger generation
Despite being called the “Land of Opportunity” where migrants flock from all over the world to pursue the American dream, America’s own young people are struggling to make ends meet. Reeling from massive college debt, they compete with their peers who are equally desperate for a stable job that will pay off their student loans. Most students boasting a good college education still struggle to immediately land a job after graduation. Many of them end up doing internships or deadbeat jobs just to get their foot in the door. Only a fortunate handful whose parents run a family business have a contingency plan they can fall back to if things don’t work out.
Immigration issues lead to overcrowding and illegal stays
Immigrant parents, together with their children, head to America at the soonest possible chance to escape a life-threatening situation or simply look for greener pastures. While this also means an influx of in-demand skills and potential contributors to the U.S. economy, the problem sets in when many of these families enter the nation as illegal migrants.
Either they don’t have the capacity to process their papers, or there is something in their background that would be difficult to explain so they just end up secretly entering to avoid deportation. As a result, there are many people staying in the United States, unable to secure jobs or even go back to their home nation because they would be caught illegally staying in America.
The war on terrorism rages on
The United States, together with the United Kingdom and other allies, launched a military campaign against terrorist groups, excluding those of India and Russia. This war continues today especially in the Middle East, with no potential end yet in sight. Multiple failures and attempts have cast a shadow of doubt on whether or not this is a war that America can win.
Gun violence continues to be a sensitive issue
The whole discussion of gun control is a hotly-contested one, with different sides pitching in to let their voices be heard. It is the pervasive reality of gun violence, with many innocent people being killed in this manner, that makes people insist that regular people should not be carrying or storing guns in their homes. There have been plenty of accidental misfires happening when kids manage to access these guns, or passionate murders committed because a family member lost control and pointed the gun toward someone they didn’t mean to kill. This is certainly a topic that polarizes many American citizens today.
Police brutality builds cynicism against the force
Seeing policemen hurt people instead of protecting them has shattered the credibility of the police force in the last few years. A lot of cases of police brutality have been linked to racial profiling and inequality, with many young and innocent black men killed unnecessarily without proof of guilt. In some of these cases, there have been videos recorded and uploaded by the general public that have been seen by citizens from all over the world.
Discrimination of religion affects personal and business affairs
While freedom of religion is very much a constitutional right, there has been so much tension and conflict over the implications of religious choice today in light of a rapidly-progressing society. In extreme cases, businesses have been sued for refusing to offer their services to people of a different religious affiliation or who are involved in a moral scenario that they just don’t agree with.
For the most part, most adults and even school kids avoid discussing their religious beliefs altogether because it only causes a lot of judgment and shaming. It is much easier now to put your head down and try to get along with everyone without preaching your truth to them, lest you be condemned or alienated yourself.
Conclusion
Looking at all of these present issues, it is clear that there is a lot of nation-building work to be done if we are to get on the same page and agree to disagree without hatred. We have a major problem if we think that we can coast along peacefully on a truce without confronting these issues face to face.
I believe that once and for all, people from different sides need to come to the table to air out their differences in a courteous and gracious manner. They should be in the presence of a neutral mediator who can help facilitate the discussion and draw out the key insights of each representation.
If we can model to the next generation what healthy compromise and reaching resolution look like, then perhaps we would not be dealing with these issues in the same magnitude when their time comes. How we deal with the big problems in America today will affect future generations and their lives. It’s important for us to be reminded that all our actions and reactions have a present and future impact. The lives of young people are at stake. Older adults today have the privilege and responsibility of “passing the baton” to them in an honorable way by learning to find ways to address and resolve the current crises of the country wisely and efficiently.