If you ask any of my friends, they’ll tell you that I’m a harsh critic of America. However, what they, and many people might now know is that that criticism comes from a love of this country. I love this country so much so when I see us making mistakes, I get frustrated because I know that we can do so much better.

A few weeks ago during the day of the New Jersey State Primary, I tweeted: “Just voted for a woman for president while wearing fake eyelashes. I love this country.”

To add some context to the situation, I was in full glam makeup because I went to vote and then straight went to a Beyoncé concert. Nonetheless, as I walked out of my voting booth smiling because it was the first time I ever voted, I realized that I just did something that many women around the world cannot do. Actually, in that moment, I was doing several things that not all women can do around the world. I was wearing shorts, I was wearing makeup, I was driving, I was voting, I was voting for a woman, and I was doing all of this alone.

In many countries women can’t wear makeup let alone go outside in public without being accompanied by a male family member.

I realized that even though voting in my state’s Democratic primary didn’t seem like much because Hillary Clinton was definitely going to win, many women would love to do any of the things that I was doing in that moment.

Besides the many rights that I have as a woman in this country, I love that I don’t live in a country where taxpayer dollars go towards paying for the lifestyle of an unelected monarch that I would have to curtsy to. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s completely outrageous that one must bow or curtsy to another human being. Sorry, but we’re all the same.

I don’t think people in country appreciate how much they can criticize the government and government leaders without any fear of retribution. You can get whipped in many countries for doing this. You can get sent to a concentration camp in some countries for doing this. You can be killed in some countries for doing this. I love that our freedom of speech and press is not restricted.

I am proud to live in a country that is founded on some of the best values. Our Founding Fathers fought against what they saw as a tyrannical regime. I love that they fought for fair representation in a government that was affecting their lives.

The Fourth of July is more than just burgers and booze. It’s a celebration of our nation and every person that fought for us to be independent. It’s hard to find a connection with people that lived hundreds of years ago, but hundreds of thousands of people died so that we could have all the freedoms that we enjoy today. Even though these are all of our God given rights, not every person in the world gets to live as openly and freely as Americans do.