The United States of America is a great country. I say this, not because of the historic propaganda I was taught as a child about George Washington and his apple tree or Abraham Lincoln and his log cabin. I don't say it because of the pledge of allegiance I was made to stand and say each morning from kindergarten through eighth grade. I say it, because it is categorically true. In U.S. America, citizens are granted liberties which are removed from other countries. We may have access to a wide variety of news sources. We may vote in an election from the bottom to the top, from city to national officials. We have a low chance of dying at birth, and for most of our lives, we will be able to access clean water, electricity and most modern convenience. Free education until grade twelve, and freedom to worship as we will.
The thing that made me love my country was to visit others. When I was abroad, I saw poverty like I had never seen it before. I saw censorship of what magazines were allowed to print. I listened to testimonies of people whose governments are embroiled in corruption. Where money can go missing without any explanation, and police officers regularly extort bribes for safe passage through a region. I have also heard the joys of immigrants of coming to the United States, and for the first time being able to drive a car, or read the news ... any news that they want to without buying a VPN outside their country. So yes, I can look around at the liberties I have received throughout my life, and I can say that right now, compared to so many others, America is a great country.
But it also isn't a perfect country, and it isn't the best country, which I also saw from visiting others. For some reason, to say that offends people, because they think that it implies a lack of gratitude. Freedom is often bought with lives, hard work and the efforts of our ancestors. But unfortunately, it is true that the country I live in isn't perfect. There are people right now being detained in prison overseas that we own. There are people who are being harassed for their sexuality, we are one of the few developed nations without paid maternity leave. We are behind on public transportation, have one of the highest per capita carbon emissions.
That doesn't mean, if I don't like some aspects of my country I should leave it. Even if I haven't experiences some of the worst it has to offer, I know there are other people who have. It doesn't matter if the worst is better than what is received in other places. There should be no "try living in ___ and see if you appreciate what you have here". I love the place I live in, and that is precisely why I want to improve it. To critique does not indicate a lack of love or respect of my country. That's why we have rights, to use them. As citizens of the United States, you can burn the flag of the country you are in, and you can defame the name and policies of an elected official. You can protest, like you can't in so many other countries. Sign petitions to instigate governmental change. While these things are highly controversial, they are valuable and sometimes necessary. But even more so are the small, everyday acts of freedom that so many people miss out on. The freedom to speak freely: to have discussions with people about their beliefs, accept that they are different and that they can be learned from. The freedom to worship: not just for one's personal religion, but to visit other facilities and understand their practice. The freedom of press: enjoy what so many other people in the world miss out on, and read international news. And the freedom to vote: a right that the US highly prides itself on, but is underutilized by around 30-40% of the population.
Of course, because the freedom to do all these things does exist it also means that the freedom to not does as well. I would encourage it, but there are lots of people who don't. Some people are too busy to read the news daily, weekly or even monthly. Some people are not passionate about politics, dislike reading. Though I encourage my friends to use their freedoms, it is perfectly reasonable to ignore some of them. That's the point, they are optional potentially beneficial but luckily, hopefully, they always will be there if you ever need them.