The City on a Hill That Never Was
“I don't think we're in a golden age, and it breaks my heart,” English teacher Darcy Cearley said.
Over the past 10 years, the dominant narrative in the United States has been that the United States is in decline. Many are unhappy with the current state of the country, whether due to regressive policies, the image the nation projects on the world stage, or its general lack of empathy for one another.
“A lot of people are just like, ‘if it doesn't affect me, I shouldn't do my research on it,’” sophomore Olivia Lin said.
For many, this feels like a betrayal of not just 20 years of progress but the very basis of this nation, which it claims to be built on.
“For a country built by a bunch of colonies working together to defeat the big evil, to then make it about the individual, just takes away the foundation of the idea of America,” senior Liam Fields said.
Empathy and understanding are at an all-time low as many struggling with day-to-day living have little room left for others.
“When I think about the decline [of America], I think about it being motivated by an increase in fear,” Cearley said.
People who hate, even fear, one another cannot come together to create a healthy society. American culture has become a zero-sum game, in which more opportunities for some are perceived as fewer for others.
“There's a feeling among some [people] that advancement by others equals a loss by the dominant culture,” Social Studies teacher Joshua Meyers said. “You would point to the Me Too movement and Black Lives Matter [and see] that there has been significant backlash.”
The idea of progress that once seemed integral to the American Identity has been stripped from it in the name of partisan politics. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the number of hate crimes in 2024 doubled from 2014. People disregard one another and turn to dehumanization and degradation as the main form of communication.
A lack of communication is not the only problem; it is driven by an administration rooted in the same sentiments that are rapidly overrunning society. Whether it is cutting funding to various federal agencies or employing force abroad, hate and fear have precedents.
“These are not what most people would associate with American values when we think of a golden age,” Meyers said. “The raid that just captured the leader of Venezuela, saber rattling about taking Greenland from Denmark.”
Expansionist rhetoric and actions that defy international law show that the diplomatic option is no longer on the table. These actions abroad indicate a shift away from collective action in the name of peace and democracy toward an impulsive, individualistic approach that mirrors domestic policy.
“What does it mean for what you want to do with your future… when the Department of Education claims a bunch of degrees are no longer professional and therefore you can't get loans to get them?” Cearley said. “There's less hope that people can accomplish than there was 15-20 years ago.”
Funding cuts and marginalization seem to be the law of the land, as the current government is keen to not just defund vital elements of society but suppress marginalized communities.
“[The Trump administration is] taking steps back and stripping rights away from people who have been historically marginalized,” Lin said.
The many injustices the nation has faced in the past 15 years, including abortion rights, affirmative action, and the closure of rural hospitals, prove that it is far from the country’s best, and it is definitely far from its golden age.
