Happy Birthday America!

So, I love the Fourth of July... Independence Day. All over America, people are coming together in celebration. Even though our economy has failed and fast food chains are taking over, almost all Americans still hang up their stars and stripes together once a year.

I'm not saying I'm proud to be an American at the moment... I mean, I am only 14 years old, but I do have some strong opinions about my country. For one, the whole government is, to put it lightly, wacked. Most Americans can't speak English correctly, and I'm not talking about immigrants. I'm talking about born and raised Americans who've been speaking English their entire lives! Additionally, America is full of obese people who never get off the couch. Now, don't get me wrong, I have no problem with curvy/overweight people... It's just when people waste their lives away watching marathons of Dr. Phil and eating McDonalds that I get annoyed... I mean, people all over the world are working hard, day in and day out, without the opportunities that most Americans are given. Yet Americans don't even appreciate the easy lives they have. Instead, they waste them away with Big Macs and French Fries.

There are many other reasons why I'm not America's biggest fan right now... The school system, the war, car companies, the oil spill... I could go on for days. Here in the U.S., and in other parts of the world, society has been drawn apart by technology. We have all become separate people with separate lives instead of the tight-knit communities we once were. Cell phones and internet seem like progress, but what have they done to society today? I, for one, barely know my neighbors at all... I don't think I could name one of them. And I know I'm not the only one... Our country has fallen apart. We're sick beyond cure. We're ailing with something more dangerous, more devestating and more fatal than any cancer. America is beyond repair. Everyone knows this is true, but no one wants to admit it. Well, I have. I have said it.

The next generation of Americans seems worse than the current. My younger sister, age ten, spends countless hours each day watching TV. She doesn't play sports or read... Instead of reciting song lyrics or poetry, she recites lines she has memorized from episodes of Spongebob and iCarly. This is a classic example of why I have no hope left for America's future. A year ago, my thoughts would have been different. I would have said that we can all work together and make a change, if we only come together as one... If we stop dividing ourselves between races, genders, and ages and begin classifying ourselves as only "Americans", then we can get our country back on its feet. But this seems impossible today. The amount of hatred in this world is unbelievable. People hate their sisters, neighbors, brothers, and leaders. People hate others based on race, sexual orientation, and disabilities. There is no going back. There is no cure for hatred of this degree. Hatred so powerful that a child could kill their mother, or a husband could kill his wife. Or, worst of all, a parent could kill their son or daughter. Yet, it has happened, in this very country we call home. America, as we once knew it, has fallen.

So, on the Fourth of July, we are reminded of how strong this country once was. We are taken back to July 4th, 1776, and all of the problems of the 21st century begin to fade. We become one nation. We go to the parade, have barbeques, and watch the fireworks together. It saddens me, knowing that in a day's time we will be back to the America of today. But in these final hours, I can say that I am proud to be an American. Because, no matter what problems our country is facing, no matter what imminent downfall is heading our way, we are still celebrating like we were in 1776.

Happy Birthday, America.

And remember, curiosity kills.