I love America because she lets me love her just the way I do. America is not threatened by citizens who choose to disagree with her principles and freedoms. America has a bold confidence that can withstand even the most fierce opposition against the rights endowed to all. It is this inherent code that positions her as one of the most powerful countries in the world.
I love America because she isn’t threatened by her own citizens. She allows space in the radio spectrum for all voices to be propagated throughout her land and beyond. She is not threatened by discourse that contains dissenting views. America remains a highly respected country because of this, compared to those countries that implement severe controls on such debates. I love America because she rises above the fray, is tolerant, and listens.
But the greatest guarantee of all is the freedom to worship a religion of choice. This is the differentiator between a top tier and a lower tier country. It’s the internal faith within her that protects this freedom without concern of rebellion. America’s history settled this long ago: From the people who first came here for freedom of religion, to the Founding Fathers who believed in something greater, America is a testament to the success of the great experiment. I love America because she stands with respect for all who choose to exercise their rights and those who don’t, without any fear of her survival.
I am most proud of my country, America, where we line our streets to honor our veterans with military jets thundering overhead. It brings the feeling that I am on protected and secure land—not only a display of security for those resting on her sovereign land but also one of might, soaring in the skies above like a mighty eagle. America learned long ago that she was built upon the continuing service of those who decided she was worth defending. Therefore, I love America because of the unending display of respect and honor for them.
I love America because of Thanksgiving. Although this day is an expressly and uniquely American holiday, its influence doesn’t go unnoticed by the world. I know this because one year, I traveled to Germany the weekend following Thanksgiving and was asked by an airport attendant if I was an American. I responded in the affirmative, which was followed by the attendant’s response that it must be the Thanksgiving holiday. “I could tell it was Thanksgiving because there weren’t any American travelers in the airport,” she said. So I raise a “cheers” to empty airports juxtaposed with American families gathered around a table of abundance, enjoying the blessings of their country.
Loving America comes not by a compulsory force. There is an innate foundation of love that is anchored in the hope for freedom—represented by the light illuminating from Lady Liberty’s torch, thrust high into the heavens. I love that she is good and strives to settle on the side of justice and prudence. America has entrusted us with the keys to her land, both to those who are grateful and those who are not so much. Here is where anyone can find his or her place of belonging.
