Since I was a little girl patriotism for the United States has been a huge part of my life. When I was a toddler I ran up to an open mic to unashamedly sing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” in front of a group of complete strangers. A few years later my grandmother made me a red, white and blue sequin dress so that I could dress up every July 4th. I innocently believed that America was perfect.

I was proud to be an American.

As I grew up I started to realize that nothing is perfect. The naive patriotism I had as a little girl was challenged when I learned flaws of the United States. American leadership and the American people have been making mistakes from the very beginning: the Trail of Tears, slavery, unequal voting rights for women and African Americans-- just to name a few. These mistakes, along with others, are enough to make anyone question their unwavering childhood patriotism.

Even still-- I am proud to be an American.

I’m proud to be an American because I believe in change. I am encouraged that I am reading about those horrible mistakes in a history book and not still living in them today. I am encouraged by men like Martin Luther King Jr. who gave his life fighting for the country he knew America was destined to be. I am proud to be an American because of women like Rosa Parks who risked everything to make a statement that all Americans should be allowed to have the same rights and privileges as others. I’m proud of the women who took a stand and refused to leave the workforce after World War II ended and their husband came back home.

I am proud to be an American because of the men and women I know who are away from their families, right now, fighting to protect the freedom of the United States. Throughout American history, heroes have emerged-- rising up to make necessary changes. There is so much good-- so much love-- woven into United States history.

I am proud to be an American.

There are two things within America that I am NOT proud of.

I am not proud of the lack of patriotism shown by this generation (primarily my fellow millennials). I have seen people-- American citizens-- burning the American flag! I have heard constant talk about how awful United States history is and how America-- at her core-- is evil. I can’t agree. The soldiers who fought for freedom and equality were fighting for America. Equal rights were fought for and were won because America’s very own Declaration of Independence says that “All men are created equal.” America was always a place for freedom and equality, and the people who fought for those things (and are still fighting for those things) see that. Change will come when we fight for America and not against her.

I am also not proud of the men and women who believe that we can somehow “Make America Great Again”. I don’t see a time in history that was perfect. I’ve heard it said that the 1950s were the perfect era in America history. I hear people everyday wishing we could go back to those times. I have to wonder if they are realizing that those times in American history were far from perfect. While some (primarily white) families were at home watching "Leave it to Beaver" other families were mourning the loss of their father as he was murdered for being a black man in a white place. It is either ignorance or blatant disregard for human life that causes people to believe that going back to a certain time in American history would solve anything.

There has never been a perfect time in American history. Today in America is far from perfect as well. There are things that need to be fought for and things that need to change. Those changes will come when Americans can come together with one unified passion and love for a country that has the potential to be the greatest the world has ever seen.

America, to me, is a country that has proven time and time again that good will overcome evil, that freedom will overcome oppression, and that equality will overcome inequality. I believe that this was the America seen by the leaders who are admired for bringing change. This is the America we should be fighting for.

This is the reason I am proud to be an American.