> be American
> gearing up for July 4th
> time for fireworks, burger, and blind patriotism
> little voice in my head says
> "let's review the stats real quick"
> highest violent crime rate in the western world
> highest mass shootings of any developed country
> no universal health care
> but we got 87 flavors of Mountain Dew
> super high tuition
> student loan debt the size of small nations
> richest corporations pay $0 in taxes
> public schools have vending machines but no soup
> two party system in infinite loop
> both sides funded by the same people
> massive homelessness crisis
> cities look like dystopia trailers
> been in war nearly every decade
> can't even fix roads
> opioid epidimic still cooking
> half of the youth on antidepressants
> the other half can't afford them
> and yet you still see people on lawn chairs
> waving flags shouting "land of the free"
> between debt payments and ER bills
> cue the fireworks
> don't ask questions
> just grill
