While the United States faces numerous challenges, there are some that are considered to be more serious. This essay identifies and provides a discussion on three challenges. These are terrorism, illegal immigration, and environment.
Terrorism, Illegal Immigration, and Gay Marriages in the United States
For many years, the US government has been heavily involved in the war against terrorism. Historically, the America has suffered several incidences of terrorist attacks with the worst being the September 11th attack orchestrated by the Al-Qaeda group. Since the 9/11 attack, the American government has been working very hard to guarantee he safety of its citizens within and outside the United States. Certainly, the fight against terrorism intensified during the era of President Barrack Obama.
Despite the fact that acts of terrorism in the United States have greatly declined in the recent past, America is still a major target of different terror groups. Although the United States has managed to contain the activities of terror gangs especially after successfully getting rid of Osama Bin Laden, its fight against terrorism is far from over. Evidently, some terror activities executed away from the America indirectly affects the nation. For example, while it is presumed that the Alshabaab activities in East African are meant to punish East African countries, the truth is that the United States and other western countries also get affected.
Humanitarian activities of most Non-Governmental Organizations that are directly or indirectly supported by the United States have, for example, been hampered in various places across East Africa. Kenya is one of the countries in East Africa that greatly suffered as a result of illegal operations of groups such as Al-Qaeda and Alshabaab. In spite of the fact that most terrorists claim to profess the Islamic faith, this is not true considering that Islam, according to staunch Muslims is about promoting peace and not war. Jihadists as they are commonly referred to are individuals who are simply out to fulfill their selfish ambitions.
Illegal immigration is another challenge that continues to undermine efforts by the government of the United States to move ahead. While the presence of illegal immigrants in the United States has been supported by some Americans, there are aspects of illegal immigration that go against the wishes of most Americans. To some people, the high number of people migrating to live in the United States is a clear indication that America is regarded by many as an attractive nation and a great place to be.
This notwithstanding, the United States has a huge price to pay as a result of illegal immigration. As an example, consider the effect that illegal immigration has on health care as well as the provision of social services to American citizens. Certainly, the influx of illegal immigrants into the United States has created a new burden for the US health care providers. This is mainly due to the fact that plans are mostly made based on estimated population figures. Taking care of the needs of individuals who have not been catered for in the planning thus presents a serious challenge for planners.
In the same way, providers of other social services are stretched beyond what they can comfortably bear. Consequently, the desire of the American government to delight its citizens with high quality services is greatly hindered. The biggest problem is that the population of those migrating to the United States illegally is quite high and interferes with the ability to provide quality services. It is estimated that close to 10 million people are currently living in the United States without proper documentation.
Considering that there are benefits such as cheap labor and availability of a wider market for the US economy that are experienced as a result of allowing illegal immigrants into the United States, the US government is often confronted with the challenge of either encouraging or abolishing illegal immigration. For most US citizens, illegal immigration is on top of the list of the greatest challenges that are faced by the United States today. Apparently, the number of those opposed to illegal immigration has been increasing over the years with some Americans feeling that it should be curbed before it is too late to do so.
Despite efforts to purify the air, people in the United States have continued to suffer as a result of air pollution. Arguably air pollution is responsible for poor health among American citizens as well as environmental degradation. Climate change and increased toxic air pollutants are some of the challenges that the United States is compelled to deal with in order to ensure the safety of its people.
To a large extent, climate change and toxic pollutants present serious health and survival risks to the people of the United States. Similar to other parts of the world where different species of wildlife have been eliminated, various species of wildlife in the United States have equally been lost all because of climate change and related factors. For this reason, different agencies and stakeholders in the United States have been working collaboratively to safeguard the environment. Various campaigns have been launched to sensitize people on the need to take care of the environment for their own good and for generations to come.
In order to achieve better results, however, concerned parties are expected to make every effort to engage the government of the United States. Apparently, a high number of toxics have their origins from sources such as vehicles and mobile phone devices which are used by human beings on a daily basis as they go about their businesses.
Emissions that are as a result of heavy industrial activities in the United States also lead to air pollution and subsequently, climate change. In order to protect the health of its citizens, the US government and other relevant bodies have no choice but to deal with the environmental challenge with all the seriousness it deserves.
Conclusion
While this essay has only looked at three challenges that face the United States today, there are other challenges that are equally problematic for the Americans. While it appears that the three challenges identified in this essay have far reaching effects on the livelihoods of the American citizens, the US government should not underscore the need to address other challenges that are not discussed here. Undoubtedly, they can and will equally affect the economy of the United States and the American people in general.
It is imperative for the government to work very closely with interested parties for the good of its citizens. The US government should pay attention to concerns raised by different groups and individuals regarding issues of terrorism, illegal immigration and environmental conservation. It is imperative for the government to work closely with stakeholders in different sectors in order to realize greater success in creating an environment that is appealing to every American, whether native or alien.