To bridge our divide

Our government is our leader, a guide who helps the lost regain focus. A singular entity which unites the masses, a singular voice representative of the sum of ideas within the nation. A government exists to channel the wishes of the countrymen and to take action in leading us to a hopeful tomorrow. It exists in an attempt to bridge the gap of separation and create peace in disagreement. It exists to invoke the emotions of togetherness and warmth, to place in its citizens a swelling, sizzling love for the nation.

Why then, has our government become a center of mockery? Why does the mentioning of the government arouse a feeling of discomfort and why does it bring about a set of negativity and possible hatred? Our government currently exists as a composition of failures rather than its glories. Its name no longer invokes pride among citizens and jealousy among other nations, because it is now a representation of police cruelty, a depiction of political injustice. and a painting of civil ignorance. We've come to believe that "America would not long retain her rank among the nations"(Thoreau). In its lifetime, our government has taken a dramatic turn from a center of envy to one of ridicule.

Perhaps a cause of modern distaste of our government is an apparent disconnect between the citizen and the state. As our country has grown more expansive, the citizen has forgotten his place within the government. We've lost the previous unity when we started treating the government as a separate entity rather than one who's body is composed of the citizens. We no longer feel we are the body of the government and it's much easier to hate a stranger than ourselves.

Within us, we all possess a tendency to protect ourselves. A side-effect of this desire is our humanistic wish to avoid blame. It's easy to criticize a distant government for modern issues, but truthfully, we are just as responsible for blame. Unity cannot be met one-sided, it takes both a national pursuit and a readily embracing citizen body to be acquired.

So long as we are perfect in our own minds, we have no reason to change. So long as we place the blame upon the government, which resonates the voice of all the people, our country will only know blame. A prosperous America requires civil disagreement, individual responsibility, and action to become reality. The support from all the citizens builds up a thriving government, just as a thriving government creates thriving communities; we are as much part of the government, as the government is part of us. This mutualistic relationship is required to create unity.

Maybe then, we can fully become Americans. Perhaps, we can once again be unified with the government under a single entity of citizen and state. Certainly, we will then feel pride again and wake up each morning to feel a true sense of belonging.