Dear Mr. or Mrs. President,

One of the most important issues in the United States today is income inequality between men and woman. It needs to be dealt with. You may brush it aside, but think, this a problem for women in every state, no matter their age or race or religion. Those women are your citizens. America is supposed to be a fair and free society. Yet, these women are doing the same exact thing as men but still not getting paid the same the same wages. As a girl and American citizen, I believe this is simply not fair.

Imagine yourself doing back-breaking labor all day and when it comes around pay time you get paid less than your co-worker standing next to you. So at the end of you day you go up to your boss and say,”Hey why are you paying me less than that guy. We were doing the same exact thing.”

At that moment, your boss says, well, it's because you're wearing a blue sweater and your coworker was wearing a red sweater, and red is my favorite color. You might think this is ridiculous, and you're right--this is ridiculous. This is how your citizens feel every time they get a paycheck.

Some might argue that it's getting better in which case they are right, but the problem is still not fixed. According to AAUW.org, in 1951, on average for every dollar a man made a woman only made 64 cents vs 2016 on average for every dollar a man makes a woman makes 80 cents. That's 20% of what women should be making.

You see, this is not just my problem -- it is our problem. These are your daughters, granddaughters, and nieces. Do we really want them to live in a world that they are still not considered equal in. Dare I ask, if this was a man's problem would it have taken this long to fix?

The NewsELA article,¨Change¨, explains that If change continues at the same slow pace as it has done for the past fifty years, it will take 44 years—or until 2059—for women to finally reach pay parity.

You might think this is great for the future, but what about now. We live now. We can fix this now. We have the power, yet we aren't doing anything. We only live once. Why are we making things harder than they need to be? Why is it such a chore to treat people fairly and with respect? Why is it such a bother to help each other out once in awhile? Why? Why? Why? Why is this a problem?

So dear next President, I dare you to take the next step. I dare you to be brave and help your citizens. I dare you. We can only move so far on our own. Sometimes we need assistance. We've come this far the rest is up to you. It's time that 49% of your citizens are treated fairly and with respect.

Sincerely,

Naomi B., Pennsylvania