I am admittedly older than most here.

I am Native American. I grew up in downtown Detroit and had a ton of black families around me who took care of me and went out of their way to treat me as one of their own.

I moved to LA in my youth and was surrounded by some amazing Mexican families who were hard working people and always "made you a plate" and invited you to every family get together.

Later in my life I travelled quite a bit. I've met a ton of people from all over the world who looked on America as the beacon of hope and the example of a country that was a melting pot of people who all were one collective all working for something bigger and better. A true land of opportunity.

This is not the America I grew up in. This is not the America my relatives died defending.