The United States of Huck

"The United States of Huck" and "The United States of Tom" are the two different ideals of American character conceived by Saunders, the man who wrote the United States of Huck essay. The United States of Huck is the idea that America likes people, fair play, sharing, hope, and caring. The United States of Tom is the idea that America denies the misery of others and looks out for themselves, prioritizing their own privilege, and assuming said privileges are always sound. You could look at America in 2016 in both ways, depending on what/who you look at.

On the side of Huck, America is becoming more and more equal in regards to acceptance, jobs/salaries, and all that. Plenty of support groups for the LGBT community have sprung up, along with support groups for blacks, Hispanics, etc. all striving towards the goal of equality between everyone. A large majority of the population belongs to these communities, therefore it is definitely justified in viewing America to be represented by these people and those that work with them. And because of these people being considered a "minority," it has become easier for them to share and expect equality from each other.

For the side of Tom, America is corrupt in the top 1%. The stereotype for the rich and swank is that they get what they want, whenever they want it, because they have money. They expect everything to go their way, because that was the way they were raised or the way of life that they're used to. A big topic that backs this argument is the phrase "white privilege," which means that white people are treated better than everyone else, just because they are white. Those who are privileged whites are those that ignore wage gaps, the inequality to minorities, and will actively put their rights down in efforts of conserving their own privilege. Trump is a huge poster-child for this, as he blatantly expresses racism towards Hispanics and Muslims, all in order to "make America great again!" By that he means "make America white again," and if that doesn't just scream the selfish intentions of the United States of Tom, I don't know what does.