An Open Letter to My Fellow Americans

(From Someone Who Still Believes in Us)

What’s up, my fellow Americans,

 I want to begin with something simple.

I love this country.

I really do.

Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s ours. Because it raised me. Because it raised my kids. Because my grandchildren will be running barefoot on its playgrounds and learning to speak their truth in its classrooms.

I love this country because I’ve lived every part of my life here. I’m building my business here. I’ve struggled here. I’ve prayed here. I’ve sat on the sand in Virginia Beach countless times, letting the waves drown out the noise of the world, reminding me of who I am and why I do what I do. I’ve never needed to travel the world to appreciate what I have. America has been home, through and through.

And because I love this country, I also carry a deep concern for where we are right now.

This Country Gave Us a Shot

We’re a nation built on second chances. On bold dreams. On the hope that if you just work hard enough and don’t give up, you can build something out of nothing.

I’m living proof.

I’ve been able to grow into a man my kids can be proud of. I’ve turned nothing into something. I’ve helped people transform their mindsets, change their lives, and pursue purpose over pressure. And I’m only just getting started.

But all of that freedom - to grow, to speak, to believe, to become - it’s not something I take for granted.

Because lately, I’ve seen it slipping.

 We’ve Lost Our Way — But Not Our Potential

You can feel it, can’t you?

The division. The bitterness. The fear-mongering.

We’re yelling past each other instead of reaching out.

We’ve traded compassion for clicks. Wisdom for noise. We act like enemies when we’re supposed to be neighbors.

I’ve watched as people I love argue over headlines, forget how to listen, and refuse to see the humanity in one another. Politicians get richer. The rest get angrier. And in the middle of it all, we’re losing sight of the big picture.

We were never meant to devour each other. We were created to serve one another.

That’s what I believe. God wants us to love each other - not just tolerate each other - and to live in service of one another, not in fear of one another.

This Country Isn’t Built by Politicians

Let’s keep it real.

No elected official built this country alone.

America was built by the hands, hearts, and hustle of everyday people. People like you and me. Teachers, truck drivers, engineers, entrepreneurs, single moms, immigrants chasing the dream, pastors in small churches, teenagers with big ideas.

All 340 million of us.

We’re the ones who shape this land - with our actions, with our words, with our prayers, and yes, with our votes.

So let’s stop pretending that “they” are the problem and start realizing that “we” are the solution.

What We See Now — and What We Can’t Unsee

We’ve seen what happens when ego leads the way.

Wars we swore we’d never repeat.

Agreements broken.

Alliances abandoned.

Climate decisions are made with no thought for our children’s air.

Tax breaks that benefit the few while the rest carry the weight.

Leaders are more interested in power than in people.

We’ve also seen the devastating toll of racism, injustice, and systemic inequality.

George Floyd.

Breonna Taylor.

Countless names that became hashtags when they should have become wake-up calls.

I won’t pretend everything’s fine. It’s not.

But I also won’t pretend we’re hopeless. Because we’re not.

This Spiral We’re In… It’s a Choice

Every step we take - or fail to take - creates momentum. And we’ve created a spiral.

One built on fear. Fueled by propaganda. Enabled by apathy.

But it was chosen.

When we choose leaders who tear down instead of build up...

When we share lies instead of seeking truth...

When we vote based on emotions instead of values...

We help shape the outcome.

So we’ve got to be real about what’s at stake. And we’ve got to vote not out of loyalty to a party - but out of responsibility to each other.

Because our vote is not just about what’s best for me.

It’s about what’s best for we.

What America Was Always Meant to Be

We were never meant to be a fortress.

We were meant to be a family.

Not perfect. But powerful when united.

Not always in agreement. But always moving forward.

Not built to dominate. But built to inspire.

I’m not asking for blind optimism. I’m asking for grounded faith.

The kind of faith that reminds you that we still have a choice.

That no matter how dark it gets, the light in this country - in us - is still alive.

But it needs tending.

It needs healing.

It needs people like you and me to step up and remember who we are.

What the World Sees — and What I Want Them to See Again

I know the world’s watching.

Some with doubt. Some with disappointment.

But many are still watching with hope.

Because the America they once believed in - the one that marched with Dr. King, put a man on the moon, birthed the internet, and built communities from scratch - that America still exists.

It’s buried beneath the noise. But it’s not gone.

And every day, we each get to choose whether we dim the light… or help it shine again.

Let’s Get Back to What Matters

Here’s what I know:

This nation is at a crossroads. Again.

Not every election changes everything - but some of them absolutely do.

The next one, is one of those.

And while voting is only part of the answer, it’s not the whole thing.

We’ve got to return to compassion.

To service.

To faith.

To the idea that we are responsible for one another.

That no child should go hungry in a land of abundance.

That no neighbor should live in fear in a nation founded on freedom.

That no human being should be judged by where they came from, what language they speak, or what their last name is.

We’re Better Together

If you’ve made it this far in the letter, then I know one thing:

You still care.

So do I.

Let’s be the generation that remembers how to listen.

How to forgive.

How to lead with love.

Let’s be the parents, leaders, friends, and neighbors our country needs right now.

Let’s stop waiting for Washington to change.

Let’s change the atmosphere in our own homes, in our own businesses, in our own communities, in our places of worship.

Let’s choose unity over ego.

Let’s choose courage over comfort.

Let’s choose each other.

Because this country is still worth believing in.

And the American spirit is still worth fighting for.

Let that be the legacy we pass down.

Let that be the story we write - together.

With faith,
with hope,
and with love,
— Manny D. Rosa

Father. Grandfather.
Entrepreneur. Author.
Life Coach. Podcast Host.
Proud American.