Charlotte+F's+Final+AmEx+2015+Speech

The Sin of Superiority We face today an issue we have be facing since the beginning of America. Its devastating effects can be seen on an international and domestic level. There is a history of oppression in this country because people thought they were greater than. American superiority must end.
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We constantly intervene in foreign affairs that do not concern us, attempting to spread democracy because it’s the American way and therefore the better way. We have propped up and supported too many corrupt governments, simply because they were more accepting of our ideals than the opposition. In Vietnam, for instance, we supported the fraudulent Diem and engaged in a war that caused over a million deaths in the hopes of destroying communism.

We call third world countries “developing countries” because they have yet to reach our level. Because they are not like us they are instantly labelled as lesser than. Just because we have more democratic form of government than them doesn’t mean we're superior to them. The residents of these countries are just as human as we are and therefore just as deserving of respect for their way of life.

Unfortunately, we have a problem with treating people like people. On the individual level, people are still inclined to believe and act as though they ought to be entitled to more than someone else, whether it’s because of the color of their skin or the god they pray to.

It is this mindset that led to the institution of slavery and to the formation and continuation of the Klu Klux Klan. Innocent black boys are being murdered by racist cops and no one in power is doing anything about it. These cops are not being held responsible for their actions because people think they were justified, that white cops have the authority to decide who gets to live another day.

We are being fed propaganda to fuel the belief that the white race is superior. American Sniper has been hailed as a masterpiece. In reality, it exacerbates the already too prevalent islamophobia in our society. Instead of being taught that the people we are fighting this pointless war against are human, we are told that every last one is an “evil fucking savage.” The residents of Iraq did not invade our homes and murder civilians. You can try to validate the war with the events of September 11, 2001 but the collapsing of the twin towers killed around 3,000 people whereas the war in Iraq has so far caused the death of over 133,000 civilians alone.

Some people try to excuse islamophobia by saying that our government still labels them as terrorists, a threat to our society, therefore justifying their hatred. What, then, is their defense for antisemitism? Hatred of Jews is so frequent that it gets its own name. We preach freedom of religion in America. While we may be free to practice as we choose in the eyes of the state, it’s another matter in the eyes of our fellow citizens. We like to pretend antisemitism ended with the Holocaust. Sadly, this could not be farther from the truth. One Jewish family moved from Israel to San Diego in the hopes of raising their children in a safer environment. During Passover, a holiday that celebrates the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt, the power to the family’s house was cut and swastikas were spraypainted onto their home. This occurred less than two months ago.

The battle against prejudice is not over. It is ongoing. It is caused by the belief that for some reason one individual is better than another. Apparently, this gives them the right to take someone else’s freedom, someone else’s life.

No one has that right. We should not have the right to invade other countries, leaving nothing but destruction behind us for the sake of the greater good. No one is better than anyone else. Just because you were born with a trust fund doesn’t mean you have more of a right to live than someone else.

You’re not anything special. Nothing about you gives you permission to burn down someone’s house, to take another’s life, or even support the system that allows others to do so. I want to live in an America where superiority is recognized for the crime that it is, where people are regarded equally regardless of their sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation. I want to live in an America where everyone is not just created but considered equal.

http://fox5sandiego.com/2015/04/08/jewish-familys-home-tagged-with-spray-painted-swastikas/
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