America has long prided itself on principles of justice, equality, and meritocracy. These ideals, woven into the fabric of the nation’s self-identity, are statedly what set the country apart as a beacon of opportunity and fairness. However, in practice, these values have long been undermined by a different reality—one in which wealth and power are deliberately funneled toward select religious, economic, and ethnic groups, often under the guise of maintaining social harmony or economic stability. This contradiction between principle and practice is not only a betrayal of American ideals but a direct impediment to the nation’s progress. Recent examples of…