I cannot even begin to count how many times I have heard people complain about America in the past two months. We are not a perfect nation, nor have we ever been. We have assassinated our own leaders and fell into the trap of the institution of slavery. We have been to many wars with other countries where we have killed many innocent individuals. We risk millions of Americans lives daily who have chosen to protect our nation. We still battle gender and racial equality, but no nation is perfect, and we certainly have made progress.
It is frustrating for me to hear fellow American citizens complain about the country they live in. Much of the world hates America, Americans don’t need to hate America. Sure, there are rightful things to complain about, the most popular is politics. At the end of the day, however, these strong views are a matter of opinion. A large percentage will agree with you and an even larger percentage will probably disagree with you, and there is not a whole lot you can do about it. You can vote and protest and campaign, but you cannot change the outcome. But there is so much more to America. America has freedom; sure limited freedom for the safety of everyone, but freedom. We live in a democracy that does not exist unanimously across the globe. There are still countries that have very little freedoms whose citizens are in danger. We have poverty and crime too, but we also have courts and due process and proper humane punishment. Our nation led the world in testing a system of self-government, and we succeeded.
There is a flaw in every ounce of America, but we have no more flaws than any other nation in the world. America’s flaws just take the spotlight. What happened to the patriotism and pride that once swept the nation? We should all be proud to be Americans, because so many people wish they were. Think about all our ancestors that struggled to move to America. Think about all the people who saved their money and lost their lives in the attempt to relocate their families to America. Think of all the people who sought out our nation for a better life, before we had the grand reputation we have since established. Think about all the people who wish to be here, who wish to be in the shoes we were born into.
If you truly hate America, then leave. Nobody is stuck here. We have the freedom to leave the nation forever if we so choose, but do not forget everything this nation has been through to assure those freedoms. As my history professor stated our last day of class, “Never vote against America.” Have pride.