The Promise of the United States of America? - Prompt 12

[erulissedances]

 

The Promise of the United States of America?

 

A promise founded upon shifting sands.

Wide, broad and stratified; the various layers changing over time, the bodies of the past becoming the decayed and diseased dreams of the future.

Extended, welcoming hands, espousing peace and serenity; have been drowned in time, covered up by rhetoric, and buried in blood.

Desires of exclusivity war constantly with ideals of inclusiveness - smoke dreams, rarely realized in truth.

But America holds forth a shining dream - that each individual is treasured, honored, and treated equally. Is this the reality? No. Instead, we have had a raging nightmare - segregation, slavery, multi-class stratification, a rush to judgment; and small minds closed firmly against the greater good.

Are you male, white, and well educated? Doors for opportunity seem to open widely, although personal stupidity can close them.

What about if you are female, white, and well educated? The glass ceilings are firmly in place. Power is often gained through employment associations of a more personal type and all too frequently, sexual prowess is accepted as payment. Rare is the woman whose success actually springs from professional competence and peer recognition.

Is your skin darker colored? To what degree? Cream? Coffee with milk? Brewed tea? Deep coffee? What about red or yellow? No matter the color, unless the individual is white, the steps to success are now steeper, the doors are larger and heavier, and the locks are more difficult to master. Is such mastery impossible? No - in America, all is possible. Is such success likely? To repeat, it's not impossible, although it is not frequent.

The fairy tales run deep - that all can make it in America. That the streets are paved with gold and all who pass the borders will have the opportunity to grab the golden ring. Even fairy tales can come true, but they gloss over the difficulties in the pathways of that success.

The carousel that is America revolves around ideals rarely realized. Every freedom granted seems to require two others to be either annulled or ignored.

 

I am an immigrant. I am white, female, and many doors were and still are open to me. My parents had it harder - they came over as adults, I came here as an infant. America is the only home I have in my long memory. I look at my country with a balance of love and loathing - I clearly see the promise of greatness as it bumps against closed minds and bounces off petty officials. When will the promise of freedom in America finally ring clearly and purely?

 

 

Comments

[cmcmck]

White, female, well educated, but trans...............

[erulissedances]

Yeah - *hugs*

- Erulisse (one L)

[greghousesgf]

I'm white but I'm also female, mentally ill and look like shit plus I'm an atheist and don't want kids so people really hate me.

[erulissedances]

I never wanted kids and never had any. I suppose that's one more mark against me, although I never have cared very much about what others think. I'm certainly NOT Christian, but I can look sharp (if people manage to handle the tattoo).

You are exactly the kind of person I love as a friend.

- Erulisse (one L)

[greghousesgf]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwww thank you

[lokbiiviing]

When there are more people like you around. :)

[erulissedances]

Well, thank you! That's quite flattering. I can be stubborn, short-tempered, and impatient, but I can also be generous, sharing of time and resources, and patient in the right instance. In other words, I'm human - LOL.

- Erulisse (one L)

[tinnean]

There was another shooting yesterday. It's a sad country we live in. Thank you for writing this.

[erulissedances]

Our nation is sick right now, but the big question is what will effect a cure?

- Erulisse (one L)

[kaishin108]

Right, it I am just not hearing the ring of freedom at all.

[erulissedances]

Not right now, that's true. It's a pity.

- Erulisse (one L)

[adoptedwriter]

So well said! Bravo!

[erulissedances]

Thank you so much for reading. I appreciate the kudos, and hope I will have earned one of your votes.

- Erulisse (one L)

[dsrmousey]

Why are you in my account? I'm now locked out and I wanted to post!

[erulissedances]

Did you get this figured out? It has to be something on your end. I checked all of the options on my end and you're no different than 50 other people I have as part of my "circle".

- Erulisse (one L)

[dsrmousey]

Dreamwidth won't let me post to you at all. Very strange. Gary's on it though. Dreamwidth said it was because of something with live journal? Than DW gives me a password link that doesn't work. So. Let's see if this one goes through but I'm about to change my account. I've played idol since before all my health issues started in 2015. I've learned so much. Sorry if I sounded crabby I just wanted to know if you were having the same probs. Peace~~~Desiree

[erulissedances]

No, I'm not having the same problems, but thanks. I messaged Gary yesterday, I think that any action has to come from him since it was on his board. I have no idea what's going on with this. I've disabled any cross-posting from Dreamwidth to Live Journal and even though I post both places every day, I do it as a copy/paste, not as an automatic the way it used to be done.

I hope this gets resolved quickly, and if you do need to start a new account, please be sure to let me know your new name so that I can send you a "friend" request.

- Erulisse (one L)

[dsrmousey]

Erulissa why are you on my page? Just one more thing thing to go wrong this week!!!ack!!?



.

[roina_arwen]

Nicely stated! It’s sad what our country has come to lately.

[erulissedances]

It's certainly changed over the centuries and decades. That's not unexpected, but the direction it has taken is where I'm disappointed. Thank you so very much for reading and commenting.

- Erulisse (one L)

[drippedonpaper]

You poetically expressed so many emotions. I hope we both see better days and more hope for America. It's hard right now :(

[erulissedances]

Thanks so much for your kind words. I join in your hopes for a better future for America and thank you for reading and commenting.

- Erulisse (one L)

[bleodswean]

This could easily be reworked into a poem!

[erulissedances]

Yes, it could be, but I allowed it to be a flow-of-conscious piece instead. I wrote it on the fly in five minutes - and I feel extremely fortunate that it reads well. It was one of those "must immediately write this before the words disappear" times.

- Erulisse (one L)

[mollywheezy]

Very well said!

[erulissedances]

Thank you so very much. I appreciate your reading and your very kind words.

- Erulisse (one L)

[d0gs.livejournal.com]

So well articulated and unfortunately, true D:

[erulissedances]

Thank you, so very kind. I hope it nit some high notes for you and I thank you for commenting, and hopefully voting for me.

- Erulisse (one L)

[banana_galaxy]

There are so many ways that America does not live up to its ideals, and I think you articulated that well.

[erulissedances]

Thank you so very much. I love this country, but it also drives me crazy because it simply doesn't manage to live up to its' promise.

- Erulisse (one L)

[ofearthandstars]

Very well said. I especially appreciate the imagery in your leading paragraphs. Lots of shifting sands here, indeed!

[erulissedances]

Thank you so very much. I appreciate your reading and commenting.

- Erulisse (one L)

[favoritebean_writes]

That last question you ask? I wonder the same. I hope that we can bust them open.

[erulissedances]

It's certainly a hope, right? Thanks for reading and commenting.

- Erulisse (one L)

[dadi]

Well said, and alas, so true and so unjust....

[erulissedances]

Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I hope I get your vote, also.

- Erulisse (one L)

[alycewilson]

Very true observations.

[erulissedances]

Unfortunately, yes. Thanks for reading and commenting. I hope I've earned your vote.

- Erulisse (one L)