The Fate of America

-by, Marquell Garrett
-DATED: February 03, 2008



I have learned by looking at America these past few years, specifically 2007, that America has lost the passion and desire for freedom. It is more apparent today that Americans believe that freedom will come to them soon enough, all they have to do is wait. After all history teaches us this. History teaches us that only through hard work and determination does change happens. If you would look at America, dating back to the colonial times, slaves in this nation faced cruel and harsh lives right here in America, the so call land of the free and the home of the brave. However, the slaves in this nation certainly were not free and their “massas” certainly were not brave. It took the bravery and courage of many black and African Americans to stand up and fight the oppression in this nation. Only then, through many years, lives, and generations did black and African Americans arrive were they are today. Their journey is not complete, as there is still ignorant people in this nation who wish to oppress black and African Americans. History teaches us through unity of the black people and through their bravery and courage to fight for freedom, freedom can and will come to this nation for all. By setting on the couch waiting and hoping for better days in this nation nothing will happen. I become very upset when I hear about so many young people and so many people in general being dissatisfied with the direction of this nation moving away from the ideas of freedom, yet these same people remain silent and fail to fight for equality and freedom in America and fail to express their voices to America. I must say to all of those who are setting on the sideline and not joining the fight, if you do not control your own fate, if you do not control the fate of this nation, then someone else will and it will not be a happy or peaceful fate. If you don’t make the difference, no one else will. Today this nation fails to represent all citizens of this nation fairly and equally. Today this nation fails to protect the rights and civil liberties of all citizens of this nation and even proposes to limit individual rights. For the first time in U.S. history we are proposing laws and constitutional amendments to limit the rights of people instead of protecting them. What does this say about our nation? Some say that such notion of banning same sex marriages, such amendment is only to protect an American tradition. Are it not as equally important and not the right of human beings to start their own traditions? Is it not the right of human beings to live their lives free and equal and without influence or oppression from other traditions? America has witnessed several American traditions that do not represent the American idea and do not represent freedom. Slavery was an American tradition. So why did we not protect such tradition? The only tradition America should be trying to protect is that of the right of freedom, justice, equality, and the American dream. The right to live and let live. I must say though, proposing to ban same sex marriages was not to protect tradition. It was a deliberate attempt to place Christian values and beliefs over all other values and beliefs in this nation. Over the past few years I have watched the ideas of life, liberty, justice, equality, and the pursuit of happiness vanish from this nation. I have witnessed people becoming more and more accepting of the ideas that religion should run this nation and that the phrase in the constitution “separation of church and state” does not mean that religious beliefs should not be put into our constitution and forced upon all Americans.
For the first time in American history people are actually leaving America in search of America. I was talking to a friend of mine almost 5 years past now and he told me that he had meet someone and was very happy with his life but now had to seal his happiness and not have to worry about the government taking his happiness. He told me he was leaving America in search for a place where he would not be judged and treated fairly and equally. I didn’t understand then and thought that he was crazy for leaving America in search for America. But today I see more and more people doing so and I understand why. America no longer represents the American idea. America no longer represents freedom for all. People should be treated with respect and treated fairly and equally regardless of their beliefs and regardless of their sexual orientation. America doesn’t provide this and so it is only natural that people will leave this nation in search for America. Majority of my family are strong, southern, Christians. Matter of fact, I am the only atheist that I know of in my family. I love my family very dearly and will never do anything to restrict them from their faith and beliefs and never do anything to misrepresent them as a whole and individuals because they are my family and it the commonsense thing to do. I only expect the same from them. I expect this government to represent all Americans equally and not just the religious majority of this nation. America can not be the land of the free and the home of the brave yet deny thousands to millions of Americans the right to fair and equal protection and representation under the law. America cannot be the land of the free and the home of the brave yet deny thousands to millions of couples in the U.S. the right to marry who they will. What ever happened to the old phrase of “separation of church and state”? The U.S. government has no business going to the church to gather laws and ideas to force on all Americans by placing such ideas and church laws into federal, state, and local laws. It is time to end this oppression in this nation. Today we have Presidential candidates and other politicians stating and running on platforms saying that our constitution and laws should be amended to reflect the bible. Looking at this nation today I can’t help but to think back to when I was a child and think back to singing an old civil rights hymn in church, “oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me, and before I be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave, and go home to my lord and be free”. Today Americans abroad are not free. Today about 80% of Americans are slaves. I’m not talking about slaves in the sense of working against your will and for no money. I am not talking about slavery as in black slavery during early America. But the slavery I am talking about is just as bad. The slavery I am talking about causes thousands to millions of Americans in this nation to deny their true belief or absence of a belief. The slavery I am talking about causes thousands of people to remain secret about their sexual orientation. The type of slavery I am talking about causes thousands to millions of people’s lives in this nation and thousands to millions of people in this nation the inability to marry who they love and the right to pursue their happiness. You see, the type of slavery I am talking about is that of fear, religion, and lack of courage, knowledge, and motivation to fight for what is right in this world. The lack of knowledge, courage, and the will to fight for life, liberty, justice, equality, the pursuit of happiness, and the fair and equal representation from this government. Americans have stood around accepting hatred and prejudice behavior for so long, accepting the ignorance that religion is the only way to bring peace to the world, that toady majority of Americans believes that this nation should be built upon religion. Americans have grown to accept such ignorance in their hearts and so have become slaves to such ignorance, hatred, and prejudice. You see, a slave, a true slave, is someone who has all of their hope and desire for freedom taken away from them and someone who allows people and the government to deny them or others basic civil liberties. That is the way Americans are thinking today and that is why America is full of slaves. I tell you today though, I am no slave. I am no slave to prejudice, hatred, and ignorance that this government teaches to us everyday. I am no slave to the idea that religion should dictate the world even if it means denying thousands to millions of citizens in this world their basic and civil liberates. No America, I am no slave. I believe in the dream of freedom and the words of our founding fathers. I believe in the ideas of life, liberty, justice, equality, and the pursuit of happiness. I will not allow the religious community or anyone else rob me of this belief and hopes that this belief can someday free the world. It is my obligation to spread this belief to all of humanity and free Americans from their hatred, prejudice, and ignorance so America can be free. I have been in the service now for over two years and I heard from an old friend of mine just the other day who told me told that she was one of many Americans who had lost hope in America and could no longer find shelter from the religious oppression and prejudice in this nation. She told me that out of the less than 2, 000 members that were active in the Lions of America Organization before it was shutdown in 2006, over 1500 of those members felt the same way she does and also moved to another country. What has happened to this nation? I never knew that America was suppose to be the place where everyone is welcomed and will be treated fairly unless you’ll black, gay, or an atheist. You know, I hear all the time people telling me that America is still the greatest nation in the world and that there is no need to be concerned about America. Well I am concerned about America. I am concerned about America when politicians propose that the bible should dictate the laws and constitution of this nation and no one says anything against this proposal. I am concerned about America when the President proposes to ban same sex marriages and say it is all for tradition, who’s tradition, certainly not mine and certainly not all of Americans’. I am concerned for America when 49 out of 50 states ban same sex marriages. I am concerned for America when the State of Florida denies same sex couples the right to adopt a child. I am concerned for America when the phrase “In God We Trust” is on U.S. currency and the phrase “Under God” in the U.S. pledge to the flag. I am concerned for America when atheists nationwide are fired from their jobs after refusing to pray or just for being an atheist who teaches science or history. I am concerned about America when atheists and homosexuals are thrown from their homes and neighborhoods and forced to move because someone in the neighborhood feels it would be too difficult to explain homosexuality or atheism to their child. I am concerned for America when homosexuals in this nation are denied the right to walk down the streets holding hands but it goes unnoticed when heterosexual couples can walk down the streets holding hands. I am concerned for this nation when Americans look upon other Americans in disgust after learning they are a homosexual or even an atheist in then as a consequence end any affiliation with the person. Yes, I am very concerned about America. I must say that unless the fate of America is captured by the hearts and minds of those who believe in freedom and equality then America will never again be America. Unless young men and women in this nation take the streets in this fight for equality for all, America will no longer be America. Unless homosexuals in this nation let their sexual orientation known, and unless all atheists let their lack of beliefs known, then America will never again be America. The only way to seize the hatred and inequality in this nation is to take the streets and fight for equality even if it is unpopular or will cause you your job, home, or life. The only way to overcome to oppression in this nation is to fight for freedom. There are many people in America who says, “I am not gay or an atheist so why should I care, why should I fight for equality risking my life, and freedom. Because it is the right thing to do. Because it shows that the true America is not full of oppression and hated. Because it shows that true Americans that carry the American dream and idea in their heart will; not rest until all Americans and all of humanity can come together in peace and harmonay. I am not a homosexual, but just as I bid for equality in this nation when it comes to minorities, atheists, and minority religions, I too fight just as hard for equality in this nation when it comes to the homosexuals because it is the right thing to do. In conclusion, America has to stop being a slave of ignorance, hatred, and prejudice. It is time for America to break the chains of slavery and take the streets for this fight for equality. It is time for Americans who are setting on the couch hoping for a change to put some fuel behind that hope and take the streets for equality in this nation. America is no longer America. The only way to correct this tragedy and the only way to protect all citizens of this nation is to fight for equality and to let this tragedy be known. We have been quiet long enough. Now is the time to shout to this nation and the world, “equality will rest in America once more”.