Why aren't I proud to be an American? I live in the good old U-S of A. 'Merica. The land of opportunity. Where at least I know I'm free.

But for some reason, I'm not proud. Maybe it's the fact that racism and sexism prevail in America. Or that America is actively ripping children away from their parents at the border and placing them into cages. Or maybe it's the fact that the United States just withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Or maybe it's the fact that children are being mowed down by gunfire in schools, while lawmakers sit in their chairs, counting their NRA-gifted dollars. Or maybe it's the fact that Donald Trump openly admitted to committing sexual assault before the election, and people still voted for him! (People somehow forget this!)

It's getting hard to be patriotic. In fact, it's becoming insensitive to be patriotic. How can I support and love my country, when it commits atrocity after atrocity? People who have studied history know that these atrocities aren't new. Slavery was still a thing less than two centuries ago. Many of our parents and grandparents attended segregated schools. The United States was born only because of the genocide of the Native Americans; its economy was born out of slavery. But even as I read my history books, I always believed in America. I always thought that, our history aside, we can still be a force for good in the world, and that the worst of our actions were in the past. But I no longer believe this is true.

I no longer believe that this country is a force for good. I no longer believe that we are doing the right thing. And maybe it's ignorant, in light of the above, to have ever thought we were doing the right thing. But it should be obvious that with our current course of action, we are about as far from "doing the right thing" as we could be.

This is especially clear when I see a great deal of our population support the separation of immigrant families; when I see those who can listen to the children wail for their mothers as they are placed in tight, fenced-in CAGES, and still think to themselves, "this is right, this is just". And when I see those who stand idly by while lifeless children, decorated with bullet wounds, are stretchered out of schools. And when I see those who are brainwashed into thinking climate change doesn't exist, and that we shouldn't do anything about it. And when I see those who attempt to justify sexual assault and its glorification. And when my female coworkers are objectified by customers and other coworkers. And when I see yet another unarmed person of color get shot by those who swore to protect them.

I'm upset. I want to be a patriot. I want to love and to have pride in my country. And that's why I'm not giving up. That's why I'll be voting this November, and in every November after that one. That's why I'll educate myself and others about the election so that we may all make informed decisions. That's why I'll be active in voicing my displeasure as I am now. One day, my pride will return. And I hope it's soon.

For information about what you can do now to keep families together, click here: https://actionnetwork.org/groups/raices-refugee-an...

For information about finding a solution to our gun violence epidemic, click here: https://marchforourlives.com/

For information about sexual assault and its prevention, and to support victims, click here: https://www.rainn.org/get-involved