My roommate and I have spent hours on our couch talking about how sad current events make us, specifically the news we hear about how poorly people are treated simply because they are different from your “normal” American. My question is, how is that a reality? Our country has always been a melting pot. The typical American should be defined as well-rounded, kind-hearted, tolerant, and driven to support the “little people.”
Have we forgotten the thumb King George III had us under and how we fought for our independence? Have we forgotten the way we fought for justice in World War II when persecution was running rampant only a couple countries over? Have we forgotten the immigrants that came to our shores through Ellis Island seeking the US, the light of the Western Hemisphere? Have we forgotten the pain and fear of 9/11, a time we were united as one nation for the first time in a long time? I think we have.
Lady Gaga’s performance at the Super Bowl was the epitome of spreading love through music. Her message of acceptance radiated, even through the TV screen. If I sat down for coffee with Lady Gaga about the same topics my roommate and I get so heated over, I’m sure she’d have a lot to say (and, who knows, even sing about). Here are some topics I wish she had sung more explicitly about in her Super Bowl performance.
Discrimination
The FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) of Hate Crime Statistics reported that of the 5,818 single-bias incidents reported in 2015, 56.9% were motivated by a race/ethnicity/ancestry bias, 21.4% were prompted by religious bias, and 18.1% resulted from sexual-orientation bias. The thing about the UCR is it only includes incidents or crimes that were reported. We should also consider racial profiling and the every day discriminatory practices that are internalized rather than reported to someone of authority.
It becomes a serious issue when we forget we are all members of humanity. We all have fears, dreams, guilty pleasures, and a desire to be accepted. With the arguments surrounding the rights of all kinds of people, people that some may deem “too different” to be accepted, the truth about their unique and very real humanity isn’t mentioned. It becomes more of a fight to win rather than an issue to be addressed.
Immigration
According to CNN, 1,051,031 people legally immigrated to the U.S. in 2015, compared to an estimate by Homeland Security, which indicated there are 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants in the US. The Washington Post said Trump’s travel ban impacted about 90,000 visas.
These numbers are huge, with the US population sitting at 325,597,550 as of February 16th, 2017. Illegal immigrants make up 3.5% of our population, but they aren’t just a statistic. They are parents with children. Young people seeking hope. Families seeking refuge from violence and poverty. They want exactly what we have the politically-defined right to achieve, the American Dream, simply because we were born on the right side of an imaginary line in the dirt.
This is probably an oversimplification and illegal immigration does impact our nation in some negative ways, but think about this: We all have our own struggles, but to think of those that an immigrant may experience are beyond my ability to comprehend. I can only try my hardest to empathize with them. Ultimately, the question we must try to answer is if we were without a home and running from our own definition of suffering, would we want someone to take us in? My answer is yes. I would.
Violence
Gun violence and domestic violence are frightening realities the world possesses within it that we don’t always come into contact with everyday. There were 372 mass shootings in 2015, which killed 475 people and wounded 1,870 according to BBC. Additionally, there were 64 school shootings in the same year.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) reports that nearly 20 people each minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the US. Even more frightening, intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violence crime and more than 20,000 phone calls come into domestic violence hotlines every day.
Evil will always run rampant, no matter the chains of policy we try to put on it. It all comes back to practicing our humanity. Given that fact, we also aren’t perfect, but a little bit of warmth can go a long way. It may be cheesy, but it’s true. It may not extinguish the hate, but it’ll remind us of the good that there still is, buried under the bad we always hear about.
Apathy
We’re all guilty of it. Ignoring the homeless man perched outside the doorway of a tent under a highway bridge or choosing to not think about and get angry over violence we never fail to hear about on the news. Sometimes it is best for your own ability to stay optimistic to just ignore the things that don’t concern us or affect us directly.
Specifically during this time when we are encountering uproar (whether out of support or disagreement) for our newest president and the things he has done or plans to do, we must set our sights on the most vulnerable among us in order to protect them and, ultimately, to protect the interests of what our country is built on: the fortune of the unfortunate that came about because the majority did something about it.
Social Media
Social media has its positives: networking, mass communication, the spreading of valuable information, humor, reconnecting, etc.
The trend of social media must not become something we use to attack each other, manipulate emotions felt by the masses, or to spread false pretenses. In a graphic by Brandwatch on NPR.org, there is a graphic of “10 campaign moments in which each candidate got the most Twitter mentions.” What you’ll notice is most of them were focused more on the politicians rather than what we should care about: the policies our nation runs on.
Blind Nationalism
America had humble beginnings and we have the right to be proud of that. Many men and women have devoted their lives to protecting our rights, as well as serving in public offices for the purpose of making great change for the benefit of all.
When it comes to witnessing the troubles we are going through as a country, we can’t contiue to blindly worship American soil. The presence of police violence and gun violence, the hate some have for the LGBTQIA community, the discrimination and inequality in our country is sad. We are not well as a nation. It is one thing to be patriotic, but it is another to use it as a reason for ignoring the wrong going on around us and across oceans because of us.
Materialism
It isn’t news that we love our shiny gadgets when they add something new and interesting to our lives or simply make our lives “easier.” However, we’re often so overcome with the monetary value and status that is placed on the ownership of certain luxury items, it only contributes to the apathy epidemic. Even simple things that the majority of consumers consider necessities are taken for granted. Quality, sustainable housing and clothes fit for weather changes as well as food are basic needs we often forget aren’t enjoyed in abundance by everyone.
Give what you can when you can. Allow those in need to touch your heart, especially when life is great and you feel fulfilled
Lady Gaga is one of few celebrities that I would be so honored to meet. Not only is she a great performer, but she’s beautiful both inside and out. Gaga told the New York Times, “I get blocked by my own trauma sometimes. The darkness, the loop of negative thoughts on repeat, clamors and interferes with the music I hear in my head.” Despite this, she still manages to make incredible music with amazing messages, as well carry herself with grace.