America throughout the years has stood for nothing less then the most rewarding gift given within any country, freedom. Our first amendment in our constitution is freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition. This is what our country stands for and it is bluntly obvious to anyone born and raised outside the United States. Freedom stands for a lot, and this power in our hands is abused, neglected, and over-rode by the people on an everyday basis.

Our government system, is the most amazing system within our society. They keep America organized and make sure justice is served. Yet, if you were to write out your daily schedule from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, you would then realize that more than 75% of what happens during your day is controlled by the U.S. government. From what we eat, all the way to the commercials we watch. This is an amazing way to keep this country organized, but is it really living up to the expectation of our country being the land of the free, like it once was?

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”(Mahatma Gandhi). America cannot be labeled anywhere near a great country if we continue to abuse our authority power everyday. We are the land of the free. Yet, we still cannot set a good example to other countries that animal abuse is wrong. We still continue to let ourselves sink to the lowest of low because Americans have the power in their hands to abuse a hopeless defenseless species and they continue to do it. Without thinking about what’s ethical and what’s not. One species is smaller than us, none can talk, and some don’t walk on four feet. That does not mean in anyway shape or form that we all shouldn’t be treated equally. It’s racial profiling and discrimination. The part that makes it outrageously discussing is that we as Americans want to abuse this wonderful power of the higher power species and hurt the defenseless. Do we need to keep testing on animals with procedures that we have already found out about? Definitely not. Do we need to continue to hunt down dears and fish for the fun of the sport? No. If we want to live up to the most full potential this country can be. We first need to work with the way the animals are treated. As Mahatma Gandhi said, Our country would be seen less selfish, and haughty and be more peaceful, and respectful if we first started working on how our animals in this country our treated. “To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being. The more helpless the creature, the more that it is entitled to protection by man from the cruelty of man.” (Mahatma Gandhi). America has full ability to pull off such a task.

Some can consider this country “the golden land of flowing opportunity” “the land of the free” or even “space to place new steps of change” but what I consider America to be is “The land of power”. Good or bad, we are the land of extraordinary power. With that power should come responsibility to make this country what it was before. Make this country one whole again. “Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed. Let it be the great strong land of love. Where never kinks connive nor tyrants scheme, That any man be crushed by one above.” (Langston Hughes P.1) America needs to be the dream that everyone once dreamed it could be, where no one person took power over another, and where we stand strong for a compassionate never ending circle of love. “I’m sick of filling in your gaps and sick of being the insurance against the isolation of your self imposed limitations.” (Donna Kate Rushin P.1). Let America not become the land of dependency. Let America stand up for their own selves, and gain a sense of confidence and independency.

“The boatman singing what belongs in his boat--the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck. The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench--the hatter singing as he stands(Walt Whitman P.1) America can be the country Walt Whitman has seen it once before. The country of each individuals uniqueness standing out and coming together as a whole to make America what it once was. Everyone’s daily job should shine America up to what it is, and it’s more than sad to say that plenty of the jobs people are doing in America can do nothing less than rust the shine off the spark that it could be. lawyers, doctors, firemen, teachers, and plenty other wonderful people come together with their daily doing’s to make America one great country. Yet, we have the drug dealers, the prostatutes, the animal testees, the slaughterhouse employees, and plenty others that bring this country down the drain and take away that good potential we have to be as one whole shining together to make U.S.A.

America has not became weak throughout the years. America has become lazy, undedicated, and unwilling to make this country what it once was. It has gained immature and selfish people and it has failed to let the great, dedicated, hard-working people shine through their faults. We need more dedication and will power to bring this country back to the land of the free. With hope, faith, and will power we will be “the land of the free” once again.