Freedom

America really is a great country. Not perfect, but in a world as flawed as this, it may be the best nation the world has yet seen. The problem is, it is criticized by other countries (full of people who would love to live there) and taken for granted by its own citizens. Just think about all the freedoms it upholds that do not exist in many places:

You have the freedom to speak your mind.

You can make fun of the president.

You can disagree with the government.

You can disrespect the country.

You can chew gum during the national anthem.

For that matter you can atonally scream the anthem in front of thousands.

You can believe whatever you want.

You can do almost whatever you want in the name of religion.

You can (for the time being in most places) eat whatever you want.

You can choose where you want to live.

You can study whatever you want.

You can choose your own career.

You can take a vacation and go wherever you want.

You can drive from one state to another without getting permission.

No one is above the law.

You can save as much money as you are able to.

You can expect your neighborhood to be safe.

You can take measures to protect yourself if it is not.

It goes on and on. These freedoms are an important part of the American experiment, but they are not automatic. They need to be protected, and it is the job of the American people to do so. Vigilance is required because there are those in the government (in both parties) who are always trying to whittle these freedoms away.