Dear America,

On Wednesday, I watched my father cry for the first time since I can remember. I watched as images of an insurrection flashed across our TV, bringing tears to the eyes of a man who spent the past year in the ICU helping patients battle COVID-19, a man who uprooted his life so many years ago to move here and improve the quality of mine, a man who I’ve seen cry as many times as there are fingers on my hand. Sitting in silence, the events of January 6th unfolded on the television screen in front of us, the “pinnacle of democracy” being threatened by a group of rioters targeting the nation’s Capitol. Images of broken windows and Confederate flags inside the building, reports of gunshots and injured officers, a president declaring his love for his violence-inciting supporters on national television, avoiding condemnation of this domestic coup. As I looked at the faces of my parents, their emotions apparent, I knew they were thinking the same thing I was: You were supposed to be different, America. You were supposed to be better.

I will forever be thankful for growing up here, for having endless opportunities and privileges that I wouldn’t have, had I lived elsewhere. I understand that no country is perfect, I understand that meaningful change cannot be made overnight, but I hope that we can at least start to recognize the faults of our country and push for changes, not despite, but because of our love and desire for our country to be great. I know that you can be better, that WE can be better. Arrests need to be made, reprimands of those who attacked the Capitol must be announced, actions to ensure the safety of our democracy and ensure an attack like this never occurs again must be taken. Impeachment of the president should occur, sooner rather than later, in order to prevent his ability to run again in future years, in order to prevent a repeat of the chaos that our country has endured over the past four years. Our country needs to heal, and that process can only begin by moving forward. The divide between political parties is only increasing, but we need to remember that despite political differences, we all want the same thing – to live in a country we are proud of. So America, please make me proud.

Sincerely,

Trijal Thakkar, A Citizen Who Desperately Desires Change