In a Saturday video, Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger commemorated Independence Day and argued that the United States must work toward a more fair “American dream,” The Hill reported.
“Some might say this is not a time to rejoice,” Schwarzenegger said.
“We have Americans that cannot breathe, except on ventilators. Who cannot breathe because of a knee on their neck, because of oppression and racism,” he continued, referring to George Floyd.
Schwarzenegger praised the Founding Fathers for establishing America and called their vision for the country — which is based on democracy and equal rights — “perfect,” but also acknowledged their link to racism.
“Slavery and racism are incompatible with freedom,” he said.
Schwarzenegger also acknowledged the pain of protestors who are calling for African American rights and urged the country to respond with “meaningful change.”
Happy birthday, America. Thank you for letting me live the American Dream. We must fight every day to make sure that dream is as true for a Black child born in Minneapolis as it was for a white bodybuilder born in Austria. via @attn pic.twitter.com/rM95vb3twC
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) July 4, 2020
Nevertheless, Schwarzenegger argued that America still offers immigrants more opportunities than anywhere else in the world and touched on his journey as an immigrant in the United States — which saw him become a bodybuilder, a world-famous actor, and finally governor of California — and the opportunity he experienced.
“And yet, let me tell you why this immigrant has hope…When I came to this country, I had no money. I had absolutely nothing… As long as I live, I will never forget the day when I raised my hand and took the oath of citizenship.”
At the end of his video, Schwarzenegger offered his thanks to the United States as well as the men and women in uniform that have fought to protect the country’s freedoms and called for the American dream to be available to people of all nationalities.
Schwarzenegger was not the only high-profile figure to use his star power to highlight the Black Lives Matter movement amid the civil unrest in the country. As reported by ET Canada, Madonna shared a video from Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, which highlighted the recent protests and called for equality for African Americans. Elsewhere, Miley Cyrus shared her 2017 performance at iHeartRadio Music Festival when she called for unity, equality, compassion, justice, and opportunity. Although the video was from years ago, Cyrus said it “feels EVEN MORE relevant” in the modern political landscape.
Schwarzenegger has been outspoken in his advocacy of various political issues. As The Inquisitr reported, the Terminator actor has been a strong advocate for climate change and related environmental problems. Notably, he belongs to World War Zero, a climate activism coalition that includes Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and John Kerry.