With the Fourth of July rapidly approaching, I feel like I need to share a few opinions of the hatred towards America that some people are expressing.

First off, it's not our country that is the issue—it's the people. I am sick and tired of hearing about how "bad our country sucks," and how, "Americans don't have any rights." For anyone out there feeling this way, I recommend you take a look at our Bill of Rights. (I linked it so you can take a look in case you are unaware.)

Lately in the news, a majority of people have been talking about how they're going to move to Canada or a different country. If you're feeling this way, do it, I am sure they will love you there.

Need I remind people of all the soldiers, and loved ones that have died for our freedom, our right to vote, our right to bear arms, our right to freedom of speech, I can go on and on.

Whether you agree or not, I am still proud to be an American, born and raised.

Do you remember as kids how we would say the Pledge of Allegiance every single day? From kindergarten to my senior year of high school, our whole class would stand up, place our right hand over our hearts, and say those words with such pride. Nowadays, schools have the Pledge of Allegiance banned. Why? Because it "offends" some people. How shameful, that we can't even say the phrase "One nation, under God" because it is considered offensive.

I wake up in the morning, get a cup of coffee, and turn on the news to see people rioting, burning and stepping on our glorious American flag. How dare you. How dare you step on something so symbolic of the history of this country. The freedom that YOUR great-grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and loved ones have fought over, so you can just terrorize it and put it to shame to feel like a bigger person? How dare you.

Whenever I hear our National Anthem being sung or played right at noon on the local Wyoming radio station, it gives me the chills. It still gives me hope that America is the greatest country of all time. With that being said, I wanted to share some history about the song. In 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote "The Defense of Fort McHenry" as a poem. In 1931, it was shortened and made into the National Anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

He was inspired after he witnessed the Maryland fort being raided and bombarded by the British during the war of 1812. He saw the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak.

"Oh say can you see,
By the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed,
At the twilight's last gleaming?"

The flag that flew over the fort was enormous, the Americans wanted it to be so big that the British would have no trouble seeing it from a distance. It could be seen in the last light before nightfall and the first light at dawn.

"Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
Through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched,
Were so gallantly streaming."

The perilous fight was the battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The Star Spangled Banner was streaming over the ramparts (battlements) of the fort.

"And thy rockets red glare,
Thy bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night,
That our flag was still there."

The "rocket's red glare" the "bombs bursting" was the cannon fire pounding from the British Navy and the other cannons firing out from the fort. The angry red glow from the cannon fire enabled Americans to see that their Star Spangled Banner was still flying.

"Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave."

The Star Spangled Banner was now waiving over the "land of the free." The fight for independence finally resulted in freedom from the tyranny of the British. The "home of the brave" lyrics reflect on the heroic exploits of Americans to defend their country.

So, why am I proud to be an American?

We are all different.

It amazes me that now matter what, no one is the same. We all have different backgrounds, traditions, and stories. That in itself is astonishing.

We're still the land of the "American Dream."

Anything is possible. You can do anything and be anything. I have seen so many people build themselves from nothing to believe that our country's got a thing for the underdog's.

We have freedoms that people in other countries only dream about.

I can write and say whatever I want, about who I am and what I believe in. We live in a country where you can get a job, whether or not I come from the high end social class or the color of my skin or my gender. I can go to church where I want and marry who I want without fear of being persecuted by the government. Yes, our country has its flaws, but we always come out optimistic.

With all of this being said, nothing about politics, nothing about recent tragedies, our nation is beyond blessed with such an amazing variety. We don't have a perfect union, but it's the best the world has to offer.

In the words of Pat Greenwood, "And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free."