(ThyBlackMan.com) Modern America has been hit by turbulent times. Since Donald Trump was elected at the beginning of last year, many have been the news reports that have dominated our information sources daily in relation to what once was the most powerful country on earth. While the economic crisis that started in 2008 and the strikingly high unemployment figures that have been published in recent years have meant that the country is still very much in the process of recovering from its somewhat unstable financial situation, some think a better future is underway as a result of the country having created more jobs in recent months.
A few days ago, President Trump addressed the nation with statistics that he believed many in his country should be happy about. These are, however, not as optimistic as the leader wants its country to think and whereas the unemployment rate is said to be at a 17-year-low, wages have barely risen in the last few years. The creation of 2.1 million jobs in 2017 is also being referred to as the 
slowest employment creation in the past six years. In view of this, does America still have a reason to smile or should it be thinking of better ways of boosting its economy and bettering its policies?
Here’s what shapes modern America.
Fears of terrorism
America is still enemy number one for a vast majority of the Middle East. America’s past is one that has been filled with presidents whose foreign policy has been cruel and unnecessarily aggressive and violent. The Vietnam War and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan have left the country’s image in foreign countries in tatters, and by now, we are already used to seeing the American flag being set alight in the middle of angry crowds in a far away country. Since the Twin Towers were struck by planes in September 2001, the nation has escaped major terrorist incidents by foreign groups, but this threat is still very much in existence and its fear palpable specially amongst the communities that support the current US president.
Gun laws that are too relaxed
News reports have often shown one of the darkest realities that the country has to offer: its unhealthy relationship with guns and the resulting crimes. American gun laws are far too relaxed to many people’s standards, but the gun lobby in the United States is far too powerful to listen to those who raise concerns about the fact that innocent people are dying at the hands of individuals carrying arms. There is money to be made owning a weapon and the National Rifle Association, amongst others, knows this only too well. Read more to find out about the right of the American people to bear arms.
A unity unseen in recent times
The fact that Trump faces a significant amount of public opposition has resulted in the country hosting more frequent marches in recent times. From female activists protesting for the equality of women’s rights to environmental supporters wanting to voice concerns about our planet, America has seen a large number of congregations take place in the months that followed Trump being proclaimed the United State’s next president. The internet has made it easier for people to orchestrate these gatherings, but it has also made it simpler for authorities to track the source of these protests. Modern America might still be a scary place in relation to foreign policy, health insurance and gun laws for some, but a sentiment of unity has started to blossom in the nation; one which has led many people to believe in hope once again.
Following the majoritarily celebrated times of Barack Obama when he replaced George W Bush in power, America is currently submerged in a reality that is difficult to comprehend for many. While the ghosts of its past continue to haunt the nation and regular individuals campaign to restore sanity amongst those who defend the use of guns in the country, many believe in the power of free speech to fight for what they think should be respected. What shapes modern America today is the feeling that hope is still the ultimate power in which to have faith. 2018 might not be the year in which the country sees its inhabitants be freed of the fear of external threats but one in which the nation’s population will continue to unify in favour of a fairer reality in its doorstep.
Staff Writer; George Poole
