The UNITED States of America by Savannah

The UNITED States of America by Savannah - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

You and I are part of the seven billion humans who inhabit this planet. We are part of the seven billion humans who breathe, eat, sleep, work, love, and live together. We are part of the seven billion humans who play with toys together, who study for math tests together, who go to university together, who raise kids together, who love together, who die together. We “do life” together. Keyword: together.
Divisiveness spreads like disease. In recent events, Americans have seen the snake of division creep upon us, coil around us, and squeeze us within inches of our lives. We have pitted ourselves against one another because we are different from each other. We tend to take sides, whether it be black, white, gay, straight, or none of the above. Due to these differences in personality, political views, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, humanity believes that it is okay to put ourselves on opposing sides of the spectrum, not daring once to cross the line to talk, laugh, or love. Similarity is safe and comfortable, therefore we stay close to those who look like us, talk like us, and behave like us. Because we would never want to expose ourselves to “strange” viewpoints or differences in order to stay out of the possible “danger,” right?
These differences have caused us to attack innocent people with our words and actions. Hate has manifested itself, generating violence, racial slurs, xenophobic mentalities, and derogatory conversations about women. As an effect, these issues have created an “us vs. them” attitude that presently hangs over our nation’s head. People have made a big deal out of a nonexistent situation, creating made-up reasons to feel this negativity towards each other. As people, this fabricated opposition distracts us from our inherent similarities. Who cares about what makes us “different”? Who gets to decide that these differences carry any negative connotation whatsoever?
In reality, though, we are all humans, under the same sky and the same stars. We are all stuck together, on this big blue planet, revolving around a huge object that we call the “sun.” We are simply little specks on a bigger speck of blue and green, hurling through the universe one day at a time.
In divisive times such as these, the most important ideal to remember is putting aside our differences to embrace our similarities. At the polls, while waiting an hour and a half in line, I witnessed strangers talking to strangers about the weather, the long lines, family and careers, subconsciously inserting their passions into casual conversation. There was so much laughter and chatter and people just talking to people, putting their differences aside. It was refreshing.
Even if this election has divided so many, I was able to see people forgetting whose side they were on and loving on one another instead. We treated each other like fellow humans, we didn't see each other as red or blue. Occurrences like this, like waiting in long lines together, unify us. They put us on the same level. They remind us that we are all just PEOPLE, giggling and grumbling, speaking with bright eyes, sharing our passions. Nothing else seemed to matter except for the fact that we were all stuck in line, together. We realized that it was time to set down our weapons and exchange them for love, listening, and laughter. In a similar manner, if we were able to understand that we are all trapped here together, wouldn’t we practice the same behaviors? Love, Listening, Respect, Laughter? Joy? Wouldn’t we practice these behaviors Together?
Unity is the only way to kill the toxic snake. Unity- loving each other despite our differences- is our only chance at relieving hate and extinguishing violence, xenophobia, rape culture, misogyny, homophobia, and racism. Unity-the concept that because we are all created equal, we must come together- is the only motivation for helping each other, for loving each other, and for respecting each other.
Obviously, this is a difficult perspective to share with the whole globe. Traditional conservatives will always be, democrats will always be. Unity arrives when we, for the good of ourselves and generations to follow, listen to one another, hear each other’s opinions and thoughts, respect each other, and compromise. All differences aside, treating each other as fellow human beings will ultimately bring us together instead of tearing us apart.