United in Name Only

Maybe it’s just me, but why do people claim a United States when that is the furthest from reality? Spend a day traveling from Florida to Texas, New York to Montana – no one could confuse the people, politics, or priorities of one state with another.

The word unite means to come or bring together to form a whole. United, as Oxford defines it, is joined together politically, for a common purpose, or by common feelings. By that measure, the U.S. fails its own name. Each state operates with near-total autonomy, and each community builds its own culture, laws, and social codes – sometimes seemingly to avoid accountability rather than share it.

The Foundation of Division

Maybe the confusion began at the very start. America’s so-called birth was a theft – of land, labor, and lives – wrapped in laws claiming equality “for all.” But we all know “all” was meant to include. The nation was founded on selective freedom, and that original exclusion still echoes through every system we have.

It’s telling that what a person looks like often still determines what level of justice or accountability they face. The promise of equality was never evenly distributed.

Rich in Resources, Poor in Unity

Geographically, America lucked out – rich in land and natural resources, positioned for power. But pair that with centuries of exploitation, and you get one of the wealthiest yet most unequal nations in history.

There’s been more than enough for every man, woman, and child to thrive. Yet greed – fueled by insecurity and the need to dominate – has hoarded the wealth of the many into the hands of a few. Power isn’t about unity; it’s about control.

A Nation by Design

So again, what is united about a country clearly designed around division? The Constitution gave states the power to self-govern – a noble idea on paper, but one that’s also allowed inequality to thrive. When every region writes its own rules, accountability becomes optional.

Maybe the truth is that America was never meant to be united. Maybe the “United States” was always an aspiration – or branding decision – not a reality.

The Audacity of Reverence

Why do so many in the non-Black community have the audacity to question why a Black person would not revere a flag that has represented centuries of unchecked hatred?

That flag has flown over plantations, lynchings, segregation, and injustice disguised as law. It has waved proudly during wars fought in the name of “freedom,” even as millions were denied the most basic form of it.

When your heritage allows you the comfort of pride without the weight of oppression, it’s easy to confuse symbolism for virtue. But when that same symbol has long stood for your dehumanization, reverence becomes betrayal.

Those who inherit privilege often inherit the illusion of morality – the idea that their allegiance to law equals righteousness. Yet morality is not measured by compliance, but by compassion. And the arrogance of publicly judging those less fortunate – those who have felt the heel of the flag – only proves how hollow that morality has become.

Checkmate: The Patriotism Paradox

And before anyone starts with the usual deflection – “How dare you disrespect the flag or the military?” – let me save you the breath.

Newsflash: unlike many who wear patriotism like a fashion statement, I’ve actually worn the uniform. I’ve carried the flag they idolize, not for spectacle, but for service. I’ve lived with the daily pain, the scars, and at the memories that come with believing my sacrifice could make this country better – only to realize that those sacrifices often fall on deaf ears.

I’ve been in wars to protect freedoms and rights that have not been offered to myself. What have you served beyond self–preservation?

It’s like asking an assault victim to show gratitude for the thoroughness of their violation – to smile through the pain because the act was “well done.” That’s how absurd it is to demand reverence from the very people who have endured this nation’s cruelty.

Why is ti that one group can demand justice, sympathy, and understanding, yet the recipients of misery are expected to remain silent – and even thankful – for the scraps of privilege tossed their way?

So no, this isn’t about disrespecting the military. It’s about expecting the nation I served to live up to the ideals it preaches. It’s about demanding that the freedom we fought for not be selective. True patriotism isn’t blind allegiance; it’s holding your country accountable when it strays from its promise.

Closing Reflection:

Until we confront the divisions built into the foundation – racial, economic, and ideological – we’ll keep living in a country that calls itself united while being anything but.

Maybe unity was never the truth, only the marketing. But truth has a way of outlasting slogans. And maybe, just maybe, that’s where real unity begins – in the courage to finally see the cracks for what they are.

For a country that has everything to be great, but refuses to be what it claims.

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