Summary

The author expresses deep frustration and disillusionment with life in the United States, citing issues such as gun violence, the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade, systemic racism, and other social injustices.

Abstract

The article titled "7 Reasons I’m Sick Of Living In The United States" reflects the author's profound dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in the U.S. The author, feeling compelled to write in the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting, lists several reasons for their discontent, including the lack of effective gun control, the threat to reproductive rights with the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade, systemic oppression, police practices, domestic violence, work culture, healthcare inequities, and the burden of college debt. The author's sense of despair is palpable as they question the value placed on human life and rights by the U.S. government and society. Despite their criticism, the author acknowledges a sense of hope in the people of the country and their potential for change, while also expressing a deep emotional tie to their homeland.

Opinions

The author feels that the frequency of mass shootings, particularly the tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde, reflects a severe lack of gun control and a disregard for the safety of teachers, children, and Black people.
The potential overturning of Roe v. Wade is seen as a direct attack on women's rights and autonomy, with particularly harsh consequences for women of color and those without financial resources.
The author is critical of the lack of progress in addressing systemic racism, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the resistance to acknowledging and learning from historical injustices.
There is a perception that policing in the U.S. does not adequately serve and protect all communities, especially considering the high rates of domestic violence.
The author condemns the cultural obsession with work, or "Grind Culture," and its negative impact on society.
Healthcare inequities, including high maternal mortality rates and the cost of medical care, are highlighted as significant issues.
The author views the staggering amount of college debt as another failing of the U.S. system.
Despite their frustration, the author believes in the power of the people to enact change and has faith in the citizens of the United States.
The author is torn between their love for their country and their concern for its direction, indicating a complex relationship with their homeland.

7 Reasons I’m Sick Of Living In The United States

There’s never a dull moment, and I don’t mean that in a good way

Photo by Jorge Fernández Salas on Unsplash

Hi, friends. Today is not a day where I feel like finishing an article about my favorite places to go in Argentina.

It’s not a day where I feel like writing about anything, really, except the dumpster fire of a country I live in.

We all process tragedy differently, and right now I’m not in a place to feel hopeful, optimistic, or expansive.

I’m in flight-or-fight mode. This is definitely a knee-jerk response to the shooting in Uvalde. And it’s the build-up of having a front-row seat to systemic oppression, inequity, and violence for 24 years.

I acknowledge that there are many, many, many places where freedom of speech is more restricted and the government often outright kills their own citizens.

Yet, I never got anything out of comparing situations.

I don’t feel better by saying, at least I wasn’t born in a place where I have to walk 5 miles every day for clean water. Or, at least I don’t live in a country that has always been torn apart by war.

I am grateful for the privileges I have because of my citizenship status, nationality, whiteness, and heteronormativity.

Here’s a list of reasons I am ready to blow this popsicle stand.

#1: Lack of Gun Control

There have been 214 mass shootings in the United States this year. Most prominently, the racially motivated one in Buffalo, N.Y., and the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 elementary schoolers and 2 teachers died waiting for police that were right outside.

Quite frankly, I haven’t been able to think about anything else.

How is any teacher, child, or Black person, supposed to feel safe in the continued wake of these shootings?

Most of these shooters are young white men who have a history of domestic abuse against women they know.

How is anyone supposed to feel safe?

The years since Sandy Hook have not rendered me optimistic. After Sandy Hook, we said never again.

Yet, guns are currently the leading cause of death among children and teens, accounting for 1 in 10 gun-related deaths and disproportionately affecting the LGBTQ+ community and students of color.

There have been 948 “never-agains” since Sandy Hook.

I don’t know how much longer I can be optimistic about gun reform happening in this country.

#2: Roe v. Wade

My country is telling me that I should carry a child to term no matter what, have that child, and then the rest is up to me. Daycare, time off, and healthcare are all in the hands of the woman that was trying to obtain an abortion in the first place.

I shouldn’t have to wonder if ordering abortion pills in the mail is a good idea because maybe one day, I’ll need them, and won’t have access to them.

Everything about Roe v Wade most likely being overturned tells me my country of origin doesn’t value me enough to treat me like an entire human being.

What about people who need abortions and can’t get time off from work? Who don’t have the money to travel hours and hours to another state and stay there for 48 hours?

What about women of color who are disproportionately affected by laws restricting access to necessary medical care such as abortion?

Just A Few More That Get To Me

#3: Black Lives Matter. The school-to-prison pipeline. Critical Race Theory opponents. General refusal to try to learn about the past, recognize internal biases, and do better in the present.

#4: Policing practices that do not seem to serve and protect

#4: High rates of domestic violence against women, especially transgender women

#5: Grind Culture. Why are we all obsessed with work?

#6: High maternal mortality. Expensive healthcare. Inequities in healthcare.

#7: Staggering college debt

Sometimes, I Feel Sorry For Younger Generations

Sometimes, I’m grateful I was born when I was

medium.com

I am not a runner. I like to fight for my rights. I have a strong desire to amplify voices that may otherwise not be heard without taking over the spotlight. I am passionate about pushing for change, even it’s only incremental.

I understand the change I want to see will take time, maybe longer than my own lifetime.

If it weren’t for #1- gun violence- I don’t know if I’d be in such a cynical state of mind.

I haven’t had a lot of faith in our government in a while, but I do have faith in the people that live here.

What breaks my heart is, my family is here. My ties are here. In this beautiful, hurting country. The world I was born into was in some ways just as backward as the one I live in now.

One difference? The number of mass shootings the year I was born was 6(that’s the highest recorded number I was able to find, although it was likely higher due to lack of recording).

Recently, it just seems like too much. If we can’t agree on a child’s right to live, what can we agree on?

Let me know what you’ve been thinking about around all of this in the comments.

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