The wonderful U.S. of A.: where all are mighty and brave, where liberty frolics through the streets, and where equality and tolerance abound.

These are the characteristics that the United States and its people love to pride themselves on, yet I see a very different America; one where misogyny, greed, racism, persecution, inequality and corruption thrive.

This is why I am not proud to be an American.

I want to clarify and say that I am, however, grateful to live in this country. I am inexplicably privileged. I wake up every morning with a roof over my head, food in my fridge, and family and friends all around. I am fortunate enough to earn an education from a world-renowned institution and pursue my dreams. Many people in this world are not able to live such carefree, untroubled lives, and for that, I must relay my appreciation.

However, my gratitude does not relate to feelings of pride and patriotism.

I am not proud to live in a country that does not even belong to me.

While history books teach children that honorable pilgrims, fleeing religious persecution, founded the thirteen colonies on the statutes of freedom, equality, and acceptance of all, the reality is that this country was brutally robbed from its original inhabitants by white men who saw themselves as "better than." Our founding fathers, while preaching for religious freedom, established a nation based on strict Christian morals, where those who did not obey were (and still are) subjected to the fringes of society.

I am not proud to live in a country that has flourished off of bigotry and discrimination.

Our oh-so-great nation is the reason racism exists today. In the name of God we enslaved living, breathing human beings. We tortured, raped and killed thousands of innocent people for our own pleasure and self-satisfaction. Slavery exists today, too -- yet it has taken on new shapes and forms. While some like to preach about how far our country has come, the institution of slavery has left permanent scars that may never be eradicated.

I am not proud to live in a country where its people are afraid to simply walk down the street.

Although the rise of social media has perpetuated these images, our country has consistently treated non-whites with brutality and injustice. People who do not fit under the safeguard of "white" can no longer sell cigarettes on the sidewalk, forget to signal a lane change, or play at a park in broad daylight without fear of being shot and killed by our country's very own "protectors."

I am not proud to live in a country that seeks to destroy and gain power over other nations of the world.

While we love to say that every war has been fought in the name of democracy, it is clear that all motivations come from greed. American exceptionalism has allowed citizens of this nation to think of themselves as the saviors, who must go fight for the rights of those who cannot fight for their own people. The leaders of this nation motivate our soldiers by worshipping their heroism and bravery, telling them tales of the evils abroad because they cannot admit that they are sending our loved ones to fight a war for America's own selfish capitalistic ventures.

I am not proud to live in a country that discriminates between men and women.

Our nation sees a misogynistic, sexist man who preaches about groping women as fit to lead this nation. There still remains a pay gap that no one seems to be able to explain or fix. Women are told that they are unqualified or unfit for a job when, in fact, they have the same competence as the man who gets hired. Many love to compare us to other nations of the world, but this is not the point; America claims to be a country of fairness and equality yet there remains disparities across different groups, and gender is just one of the many.

I am not proud to live in a country that deems an entire religion and its people evil.

The propaganda spewed by this nation of so-called acceptance has instilled fear of innocent, honest human beings simply practicing their religion. Terrorism is defined as "the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims." Although nowhere in that definition does it mention race or religion, we only label attacks by Muslims as terrorism; white people are able to pass as mentally ill. Religious freedom is a founding principle of this nation, yet if one does not abide by a Christian god, then they are on the wrong side of morality.

I am aware of my privilege of being born in America. I am aware of my privilege as a white woman. I am aware that others are not afforded these same privileges.

However, I will not blindly admire a nation that prospers and survives off of the subjugation, destruction, torture and discrimination of others.

I am not proud to be an American.