Yes, I love my country and I am not ashamed of it. With the presidential race happening as I type and Independence Day being here, I felt it needed to be said. This presidential race is one of the most important, one of the most confrontational, and one with the most extreme differences in the candidates. Whether you are a republican, or a democrat, you should love our country no matter what.

July 4, 1776, the day and the year our great country became an independent country. The day and the year our great country was officially the United States of America. Our ancestors fought with everything inside of them for our freedoms. Today, 240 long years later, it seems we as Americans have let all of the politics, all of the negativity, and all of the red tape diminish our pride and diminish our respect for what our country truly is.

Yes, what you believe in is important. Yes, having different political parties is what makes this country amazing. Yes, every person in each of those parties gets passionate when saying who should run this country next and what the laws should look like. No, we shouldn't let that take away our respect or love for our country.

Opinions are what makes this world and our country go around. Everyone has a different one and is entitled to it. You will never ever get someone to believe in what you want them to believe in. Hearing people say, "if this candidate get elected I'm moving to Canada," or wherever, boils my blood. Yes, I will admit I have my own political views, and yes, I will admit that the candidate that I don't support and what they want to do scares me a little. But I would never so much as say, "I will move here if they win the election."

Though you probably would really move, saying that shows your loss of confidence in our country. Whatever you believe in, you should still believe in this country and honor it and support it and what it stands for. No matter who our president becomes.

There is the cliche of people saying they just want "the American Dream." Let me tell you what is so amazing about that "American Dream," and why we as Americans shouldn't disrespect or take it for granted. The "American Dream" can be whatever you want it to be. It could be owning some land and having four kids, it could mean getting your doctorate in fine arts, it could mean pursuing a sports career, it could mean giving all of your time to a non profit organization, it could mean anything.

This "American Dream" is the exact reason why we should always love and respect our country. No matter who becomes our next president, no matter how many negative things happen here and in the world, no matter what, this is why I love my country. Opinions are so important and you should be able to calmly express and support them, but you shouldn't diminish the value of the meaning of this county. Our founding fathers worked relentlessly to make this country what it is, and we should honor it and respect it always. No matter where this world or wherever this political race take us.

God bless all of the men and women who have served and are still serving this country, and God bless our country.