I thought it was so interesting reading those stats. I was born and raised in Australia, have my whole life.. And I have visited the United States of America recently. I always thought that The States were a truly great nation, how could I not? I constantly heard about how great it was.. How it was the land of opportunity and the home of the free.. But there has been so many instances lately that just make me feel like those statements are no longer justified. I don't say this to purposefully upset anybody, even though I undoubtedly will.. There is no other country in the world who is more proud than The United States of America, and in a lot of instances that pride is justified.. But on the other hand, I don't think there is a first world country that has more short comings than the States..
Very little to absolutely no free health care.. Growing up in Australia.. I had many accidents requiring medical attention to the doctor and hospitals.. I cannot even imagine what my family would have done if that wasn't free.
A base pay rate that is almost at a poverty level.. I have friends who live in America who are trying to make it on their own who only earn a couple hundred bucks a week.. Their money is spread so thin I personally cannot see much difference between their situation and poverty.. Then again 1 and 6 Americans live in poverty apparently..
The violence is horrendous.. Growing up in Australia, a gun free country, again I cannot imagine having to go to school and have the thought in the back of my mind if I would be killed today.. Mass shootings in schools, movie theatres and medical centres are just unfathomable. I heard there was something like 400 homicides a year in some cities alone.
The unemployment rate is ridiculous.
How can America call itself the land of opportunity when so many people are slaves to the broken society they live in? And the land of the free, when it seems like the whole country is run by the few?
I spent three weeks in the states.. There were some truly, truly GREAT things about it.. The amount of flags flying and how proud people were to call themselves American, but I fear your country is crumbling from the inside, and if there is not something drastic done very soon, I fear it will no longer have the opportunity to right itself again. The United States of America used to be the greatest nation on Earth, now I feel like it is only a shadow of its glory. I truly hope the government hears the people's needs and restore it back to its former self, not just for the sake of her people, but for the rest of the world.