America no more a land of dreams

Picture this...

It's the year 2000. Your neighborhood is buzzing with activities. Wondering what it is you ask your mother, what's with their house only to be told, "Kshama aunty's son is going to the US." You later meet the neighbor's son only to discover it's not to US but Australia that he's flying off to.

Sounds familiar? Yes, we have all heard this before. Irrespective of which country a youngster is going to study or for work, we assume it to be the United States of America. Such is the pull of the country.

The name America implies developed world, luxury, advanced country, a heaven, paradise and most importantly loads and loads of money! Millions of people across the world cherish dollar dreams—the desire to work or study in the US someday. Although other countries in the world are no less attractive, we still think US is the best because the country has projected itself as the best, as the leading nation in the world.

But now, all that seems like a thing of the past. No, we are not talking about the Devyani episode. We are rather referring to the series of tragedies that have struck America in the recent past.

The terror wave has no doubt gripped the entire world, making any place dangerous. However, America saw its 74th school shooting this week and only shows that no country is equipped enough to prevent such ghastly disasters.

The US president Barack Obama himself regretted that he was ashamed that the US was't able to put a stop to the killings of the innocents.

The first blow was the attack on WTC towers on 9/11 in New York. Although the country talked tough post attack and tried it best to recover, in reality nothing really had changed which was evident in what followed.

US President Barack Obama might be a popular political leader who managed to hold the country's top post for two terms in a row. However, one cannot ignore the recurring attacks that the citizens are facing during his regime.

Attack on Gurudwaras, foreign nationals being killed, shootings at schools and the Boston bombings, looks like there is no end to such tragedies.

What Obama must realise is anybody can give speeches on 'change', but the need of the hour is to make that change happen, to bring about the change practically. 'Where is action?' seems to the one question everybody's asking the US president.

We have heard enough of donkey praise, we have heard enough of America being on top of the world, we need answers on how well prepared is the United States in the event of a tragedy such as this. For the country can no more woo techies or cheap labour to its land with a few dollars more. What immigrants need is am assurance on safety. Can the country guarantee that? The next time you brand India, Iraq, Pakistan or any other country as unsafe...give it a thought.