At this inflection point in United States history:
I wish to live in a country that accepts the huddled masses yearning to breathe free and makes dreams come true for beautiful dreamers.
I wish to live in a country that honestly and thoroughly tackles its foundationally and deeply entrenched racist past with its continuing legacy.
I wish to live in a country that ranks lowest for incarcerations, where justice is doled out equally, equitably, and humanely regardless of background and social identities.
I wish to live in a country where women have and maintain the unrestricted and unquestionable right to control their own bodies.
I wish to live in a country where quality affordable health care is guaranteed as a right to everyone.
I wish to live in a country that promotes the basic tenet that love is love and affirms the many relationship options.
I wish to live in a country that burns tattered gender scripts while cherishing everyone’s direction in their own gender expressions.
I wish to live in a country where all political parties and individual politicians care more about obediently serving and governing their country rather than gaining and maintaining power and control over others.
I wish to live in a country that encourages and empowers the voices and civic engagement of young people and admires and respects our elders who have and are still contributing to the vitality of the country.
I wish to live in a country that values people who are differently-abled in a society continually creating and offering accommodations they may require to live as independently as possible and to make their own decisions affecting their lives.
I wish to live in a country that remains open to the rest of the world and understands the interconnectedness of the international human village.
I wish to live in a country that establishes fair and equitable prioritizes to close the wage and wealth gap while meeting the urgent needs of the many.
I wish to live in a country that prizes science while cleaning our environment, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and investing at significantly higher levels in renewable clean, and sustainable energy sources and in agricultural methods that eliminate greenhouse gases.
I wish to live in a country where the chief executive demonstrates grace, peace, intelligence, and competence from the enormous presidential megaphone to serve as a positive role model to we the people.
I wish to live in a country that respects activists asserting their constitutional rights of assembly and redress of grievances.
I wish to live in a country with a true and insurmountable wall separating religion from the government where no religious doctrine or tenet can ever be used as the basis for creating laws and standards for how one must live.
I wish to live in a country that ensures the equal protection of its laws regardless of who one is or from where one comes.
I wish to live in a country where leaders value our “free press” as “the fourth estate” and as one of the many people’s defenders of our democratic principles and institutions.
I wish to live in a country that values safety and security within our national community by eliminating current legal sales and distribution of firearms like toys and candy.
I wish to live in a country that equitably funds public education not dependent on zip codes, values and upgrades the status and salary of the heroes within the noble teaching profession, and engages students in critical thought and consciousness to help in the transformation and liberation of themselves and their communities.
I wish to live in a country that gives due priority to the ravages of a monumental health crisis by mobilizing on a federal level to save the lives of real people.
I wish to live in a country where the rule of law is applied to the people as well as to our leaders.
I wish to live in a country where the leaders remain grounded to the needs of the people while avoiding any grabs in attaining authoritarian powers in emulation of dictatorial regimes around the globe.
Well, maybe, just maybe this will someday be the country where I wish to live, when we join together to work and vote to steer our country on a path toward freedom and justice for all, to work in solving the problems that have gotten us to this point of rupture, and to turn the tide in a spirit of dialogue and goodwill.
Yes, I wish to live in a country where people truly desire to form a more perfect union and world. It is not too late!
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