Welcome to America | Teen Ink

Welcome to America

April 1, 2010
By icefaerie10111 GOLD, Exeter, Rhode Island
icefaerie10111 GOLD, Exeter, Rhode Island
12 articles 8 photos 25 comments

Welcome to America: A land of opportunity
where a man on Welfare can make more than a public school teacher.
Welcome to America: A land paved in gold
where we are in trillions of dollars of debt.
Welcome to America: "Liberty and Justice for all":
where our pledge does not include minors or homosexuals;
where it is not applied to the oppressed and those in debt.
Welcome to America: A land for the people
where the cooperation is clearly a person as you and me, from a political aspect.
Welcome to America: ...and by the people
where you can buy legislative power from a governor in Illinois.
Welcome to America: A effort against the "Drug War"
where we can't even keep our police officers clean.
Welcome to America: Where people and legislature see eye to eye;
where a democracy and a republic clash heads.
Welcome to America: Separation of Church and State
where we have only had two non-Protestant Presidents.
Welcome to America: A land of freedom
where women no rights until 1848, and could not vote until 1920;
where African-Americans were isolated from society until the 1960s;
where American Citizens of the same nation had to kill each other to abolish slavery.
Welcome to America: A Nation of peace
where we are always at war.
Welcome to America: A Nation united
where states are divided.
Welcome to America: A Nation of tolerance
where "the people" see Islam in the government as more of a problem than economic reform.
Welcome to America: A Democracy
where we win votes by scandals and controversy, not political action or issues.
Welcome to America: Does the system work for you?
where fitting into the system is more important than improving it.
Welcome to America: Where several police officers were killed in a cafe a couple of weeks ago;
where no one noticed because they were too preoccupied with the fact that Tiger Woods cheated on his wife.
Welcome to America: Most politicians one were lawyers;
where it seems being a celebrity gives you power equal to that.

Welcome to America where many people who read this article never got past the second line because they would rather ignore the issues than resolve them.



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This article has 211 comments.


on Jun. 5 2012 at 3:39 pm
LiteraryMastermind BRONZE, Graytown, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 39 comments
I had to mispell things to get over TI's ban.

on Jun. 5 2012 at 3:38 pm
LiteraryMastermind BRONZE, Graytown, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 39 comments
WTA 3: Liberty and Justice for All does mean Liberty and Justice for all. However, the fact that people are biased doesn't mean that the law is biased. Fact is, the resistance to the new era with emerging gys is understandable. The Bi.ble speaks against gys (Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve), and, frankly, whether people like it or not, the majority of people in the USA are Chr.istians, Je.ws, or Mus.lims, who all happen to believe the first few chapters of the Old Testament, since they are Abrhamic religions. Not saying I agree, but it's true. Evolution is also opposed to gys. And minors should be restricted. It is impossible to protect everybody from every injustice; but we have law enforcement to at least put up a fight.

on Jun. 5 2012 at 3:35 pm
LiteraryMastermind BRONZE, Graytown, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 39 comments

WTA 11: I don't even get this one.



WTA 12: Again, Islam is unjustly identified with terrorism. It's sad, but true.



Last WTA: Some people don't read the article because they just don't want to read the article. Not because they want to ignore problems. Just because they don't want to read the article. But hey, they didn't read the end of the article, so they don't know you're ridiculing them behind their backs.


on Jun. 5 2012 at 3:34 pm
LiteraryMastermind BRONZE, Graytown, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 39 comments

WTA 9: It wasn't just America that had these thoughts about women during the nineteenth and earlier centuries. Things began to change as we progressed into a more equal standing. Now, there is no way to justify African-American oppression, but I can say that people at that time did think blacks inferior. It's sad, but it's true, and nothing can change that. History is history. We shouldn't use our past to try and damage us, but rather learn from it.



WTA 10: Did you know that up until we discovered the Holocaust that we had a policy of isolationism? Just saying. I know there were Japanese Internment camps in the USA, but I am providing a reason why we get involved in so much wars.


on Jun. 5 2012 at 3:33 pm
LiteraryMastermind BRONZE, Graytown, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 39 comments

WTA 6: We can't help that police officers aren't clean. The argument only holds if other law enforcement personnel catch the faulty officer in the act and let him go without punishment.



WTA 8: Seperation of Church and State. This goes with the old idea, that the people can be biased without the law being unbiased. Unless someone wants to go brainwashed all of America, there is no way to change that. People do not want a non-Christian president. Just Protestant is better. Catholicism is identified with Latin countries. Islam is subconsciously identified with terrorism. Buddhism is identified with China. Hinduism, India. How can we change all of these ideas? If the mass population is Protestant, why not have a Protestant president? It wouldn't reflect the majority of people.


on Jun. 5 2012 at 3:30 pm
LiteraryMastermind BRONZE, Graytown, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 39 comments
I find the poem a little shallow. While I like, the tone, the things pointed out are a little ridiculous. Here are some of the things I noticed.

on Jun. 4 2012 at 4:10 pm
Kestrel PLATINUM, Warrenton, Virginia
29 articles 11 photos 189 comments

Favorite Quote:
-There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. (Shakespeare, Hamlet)

I loved the ending, about those of us who stopped reading after the second line. I admit, I for one am guilty, because I noticed it was long and I wasn't sure I felt like reading it all. I'm so glad I changed my mind. Welcome to America, where we have freedom of speech, and are able to express our feelings publicly and yet, still we are ignored. I really liked this aritcle, thank you.

Kiseki GOLD said...
on Jun. 4 2012 at 2:22 pm
Kiseki GOLD, Marlborough, Massachusetts
10 articles 7 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
“The good things don’t always soften the bad, but vice-versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”

The Eleventh Doctor, Vincent and the Doctor, Doctor Who

This is really...powerful. I mean, I'm grateful for what we have here in America (at least I'm not living in North Korea or China, where freedom is very limited) but there are some problems that are being ignored. I love how you put "Welcome to America" as if it's a beautiful, great nation we should be so entirely proud of, and then say the contradicting things happening. It's very clear and well written by all means, I can see why it's an editor's choice. I like the picture you chose; strangely, it fits well. Very powerful, this is probably one of the best poems I've read. (And I'm even counting published poets while saying that.)

on Jun. 4 2012 at 12:10 am
Micky21098 SILVER, Peoria, Arizona
8 articles 0 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
To be perfect is to know your imperfections.
-Me (if you can believe it!)

This was shockingly true. It really captivated my attention and i read every word, down to the last period. I knew some of these, but the rest were a huge disappointment to me. This country needs to change as quickly as possible, or we will always be looked down on in the world.

on Jun. 3 2012 at 9:44 pm
mudnainah BRONZE, Barikville, Washington
3 articles 0 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
it's not in everything that you find happiness, but in happiness you shall find everything.

Truth! 



on Jun. 2 2012 at 10:46 pm
Randomscreennamelalalala PLATINUM, Bonney Lake, Washington
23 articles 0 photos 33 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
-Albert Einstein

It always seems a little whiny to me to complain about America. I mean, I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's better than, say, North Korea. 

on Jun. 1 2012 at 10:25 pm
fortheloveofwriting GOLD, A Place, Oklahoma
11 articles 13 photos 30 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life."
~Pablo Picasso


Love is patient, love is kind; it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
1 Corinthians 13:4
A man's ways are his own, but the LORD weighs the heart.

I really like how you put this. Yes, the U.S. has it's problems, but we all know it's come a long way from what the founding fathers originally intended. Great work!

on Jun. 1 2012 at 8:03 am
unsimplysara BRONZE, Burbank, California
1 article 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." --Psalm 37:4

While there are many MANY things about the United States that are concerning and unjust and while government is without doubt, corrupt, there are many things Americans have to be grateful for. What sense does it make to say that women could not vote until the 1920's if they can now while in places like the middle east they're still considered to have no rights? Also, our nation WAS founded by Christian principles and believe it or not, separation of church and state was established to protect the religious rights of the people not to completely secularize the government. It has been totally twisted into a persecution of religious rights like no praying in schools....I could go on, but while I agree with some of your points and don't agree with others, I like the idea you were going for with this poem

on May. 30 2012 at 7:12 pm
NeverStopWriting41 BRONZE, St. Louis, Missouri
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Don't do drugs, don't have sex, don't be violent; leave that to me"-Eminem

Good job! This is very well-written and shows the problems in American without that "complaining or whiny tone" that articles like these give off sometimes. Good work.

on May. 30 2012 at 6:42 pm
Ultim@te SILVER, Sisters, Oregon
5 articles 0 photos 27 comments
I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean

on May. 30 2012 at 6:26 pm
Born-to-save GOLD, Asheville, North Carolina
18 articles 6 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Keep acting the way you are. That way when I die for you, I die alone"

God bless America... theres a reason you dont hear "God bless sweden"

on May. 30 2012 at 6:26 pm
Born-to-save GOLD, Asheville, North Carolina
18 articles 6 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Keep acting the way you are. That way when I die for you, I die alone"

GOD bless AMERICA

on May. 30 2012 at 6:00 pm
Ultim@te SILVER, Sisters, Oregon
5 articles 0 photos 27 comments
Amen brother. God bless America

AvaJay GOLD said...
on May. 30 2012 at 11:26 am
AvaJay GOLD, Spokane, Washington
13 articles 4 photos 184 comments

Favorite Quote:
Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not pray for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it.
~ Tagore

You did an outstanding job with this article. It is a true eye-opener that should be read by all the people in charge of our country. Great job!

on May. 30 2012 at 9:57 am
Born-to-save GOLD, Asheville, North Carolina
18 articles 6 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Keep acting the way you are. That way when I die for you, I die alone"

America is still a strong, good place to live. You can find bad in everywhere and if you try to find a perfect place to live youll be looking your whole life. Yeah somethings are wrong and we've been at war awhile but believe it or not we have a good cause for them. and you cant blame us for things in the past.