Really Deep Thoughts About Being American (and gratuitous shots of Finley with a flag)

In junior high and high school, my main goal was to get out of America. It was trendy to hate your city, hate your state, hate your country. My dream was to go to Ireland, go to school, and slowly convince my family to move out there with me one by one. I was certain things would be better somewhere else, that I would be better somewhere else.

But of course, as you get older you (hopefully) get wiser, and so as I grew and learned and had experiences, I realized that a) our country is pretty kick-ass, and b) things are NOT the same everywhere you go. I love this country, I love my state, and I love my city. I don't care if it's more angsty to want to get out--I would live and die in Lehi (with lots of traveling, of course). So here are my random deep thoughts on this Fourth of July...

My junior and senior years of high school I took AP US History with Coach Perkins, and no one loved America more than him. Before then I hated learning about America--Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Industrial Revolution, blah blah blah... But Coach Perkins brought teaching to an art form. He made me care about our nation's past, made me realize it's just as important as the future. I value a country with such an interesting and vivid history.

I value a country that has 90 years of women's voting rights behind it.

In Disneyland I heard every language imaginable spoken. I value a country with such diversity, because it means Finley will grow up knowing it's a big world out there.

I value a country with diverse wildlife and climates. We have everything you could look for--tropical, prairies, deserts, snow, beachfronts, craggy red rocks, thick forests, lakes, rivers, canyons, metropolis, farms, everything.

I value a country that values families. I value the ratings system, I value warning stickers on songs with offensive lyrics. I think it's a joke when people call this censorship, because it's perfectly fair to warn people about adult content. You want censorship, go live in China and see if you're allowed to rap about cutting bitches.

I value a country that for 400 + years has been a refuge for people wanting new, different things. I know we debate the specifics on this, but the fact is that people still view America as a place to escape oppression and build a better life for themselves and their descendants. That fills me with pride.

I value a country that values choices--choices for food to eat, clothing to wear, religion to mock join, choices for women's bodies, for couples and their reproductive rights, choices for marriage and sex and living situations, choices for careers.

I value a country that allows a sense of humor with our leaders. Our leaders do not think they are God (at least not any that I would vote for), and the fact that we can turn on Saturday Night Live and see former Presidents ridiculed without any arrests taking place is something we take for granted. (Do you think Stalin would have allowed Tiny Fey to impersonate him? No way!)

I am frustrated with a nation that calls to protect marriage by refusing to let people who are in love get married.

I am frustrated with a nation that destroys an entire coast with an oil spill, and then forgets about it as soon as the World Cup starts.

I am frustrated with a nation that insists on sliding God into the Pledge of Allegiance, inserting Christianity into the biographies of our Founding Fathers to convince everyone of America's Christian beginings, and labeling atheist leaders as immoral and without direction.

I am frustrated with wars being fought that I don't understand. How can I know whether or not to support this cause when I know nothing about it?

There are a thousand points to be made about America, and for me, they change every few years. But this is called progression. And when you've read the Constitution, you realize how tightly we've held to tradition and to our roots. The laws and guidelines that are set forth in the Constitution are simple, and we still hold to them today. You must be an American-born citizen to be President. (Sorry, Arnold. Sorry, Dan.) The House must have a 3/5 majority to vote in favor. Our goals as citizens are to enjoy our lives, our liberties, and our pursuits of happiness. The goals of our elected leaders are to protect the Constitution. And we all agree to uphold the Constitution... because we live here.

I am proud of my country, and I plan on tendering those same loves for its history in Finley. Now go rent Team America: World Police.