Letters To People I Love: America Was Never Great

I do not have the slightest clue about the extent to how great America once was 
Perhaps because of everything that I have been taught about this 'superpower', the negatives always outweighed the positives 
Though this is what I am certain of:
I am not black and you are not white
This is what the world calls us but we weren't born saying that "I am black, you are white" 
It's just what we have grown accustomed to
I was taught to call myself "black" but the root of the tree has broken eight times in my lifetime
And in that period I have learnt that "America Was Never Great" 
Now my intention is not to ridicule this 'great' nation 
But we are nothing if we choose to be ignorant of the atrocities taking place in the world 
If we fail to see the value of someone else's life just because of their race or sexuality 
We are nothing 
It's even worse when you put the blame on a whole religion just because of one's actions 
And you are less than nothing if you are okay with sending out prayers to the grieving families of the 49 when you damn well know that you have the power to right this wrong 
To elect a dumb b***h, stupid b***h, ignorant b***h as a presidential candidate truly depicts America's fleeting 'greatness' 
How many ghosts must occupy the empty seats at dinner tables, until you get it right?
Taken away by silly and senseless reasons: 
"He was black and angry"
"They were gay" 
"He was a Muslim"
By delaying these gun reforms, you fail to realise that America was built by the BLACK man for the pleasure of the WHITE man 
And that there have been so many LGBT servicemen/women who have laid down their lives for this 'great' nation; yet you still passed the DADT
Merely forgetting how corrupt all religions are, that they are the cause for so many wars 
But you have chosen to scapegoat the one religion that teaches discipline and honour 
Maybe this is why I find this so easy to write and so hard 
I am aware that there must have been a time when America was great, truly great
Because you once were a silenced nation that fought so valiantly for your independence
By those are all faded glories 
Because you don't fight for what's right anymore, you don't fight for moral reasons anymore and you sure as hell are waging wars on the wrong people
We cry with Orlando because we see ourselves in those broken families, those lost souls 
And we were hoping that you would get right this time around because you told us that the loss of the innocent lives at Sandy Hook and America's other tragedies weren't enough 
I know that the title is very flawed because
America was great when they passed and struck down laws for moral reasons 
When they did not turn on a president who is so desperately trying so hard to make a difference but is unable to 
Because Congress values their seats more than they value the lives of their citizens 
Your words are meaningless if your actions don't reflect them 
Know that by prolonging this process, you are only feeding the disease and one day, you will feel its wrath 
Just like so many parents, brothers, sisters and neighbours have 
The first step to solving a problem is knowing that there's one:
'America Was Never Great' because the only way they know how to show their 'greatness' is after a million lives have suffered 
And that is not greatness, but cowardice