I love my country. I love our ideals, our lands, our people, and the fact that under ideal circumstances, everyone gets a say in how the country is run.
I am not blind to the multitude of problems in this country. We have shit we need to fix, to make up for, and to prevent from happening in the future. Our history is overrun with fuck-ups of hideous proportions and lasting damages. We often get too big for our britches, too narrow-minded for anyone's good, and too full of ourselves to listen to constructive criticism.
I love my country. But that doesn't mean that I can't acknowledge its flaws and strive to change them. In fact, the fact that I love my country makes me more inclined to strive for change, to better our country, to make my little bit of the world a better place, and hopefully make a lasting impression on others.
Because I love this country, I will vote my mind, rather than what others want me to. I will fight to the best of my ability to make my voice and the voice of others heard, especially those who are being ignored by those in power. I will lend my voice to causes I support, and try to be reasonable and thoughtful when dealing with those I disagree with.
I may roll my eyes at overly maudlin and sentimental patriotic songs. I wish to strangle those who have made "Patriot" not only an unconstitutional Act, but they've made it distasteful by repeated misuse of the word.
So fuck that. I am a patriot, and I'm not afraid to criticize my country to make it better.
I am an American. I am sometimes ashamed of my fellow countrymen, but never the fact that I am one.
