I was born and mostly raised in the US. That being said, I now live in Europe, I proposed to a French woman in Portugal and married her in Tower Bridge in London, our daughter was recently born in Amsterdam, my father lives in Germany, my mother and one sister in the US, a sister and two brothers in the UK, one of my best friends is a Nigerian living in Sweden and my immediate work colleagues are British, Dutch and Icelandic. If I thus seem to value humanity in general rather than the US in particular, I can only hope you'll understand that my viewpoint is a touch atypical.
I've lived most of my life in the US and could never understand people who say "America, love it or leave it". It is, clearly, one of the most unamerican things you can say since what they're really saying is "you may not disagree; you must love America the same way I do". Of course, most people who would say such a thing would struggle to grasp the irony.
Now when I lived in the US, I was very politically active. I helped build the Portland Memorial Peace Park, I legally officiated at 17 gay weddings in Portland, Oregon (back when it was briefly allowed in 20004), I vote (still), I have marched, attended meetings, and frankly, got burned out (I don't list those activities to brag, but to forestall the constant "you were too lazy to try and change things" accusations that I get). Aside from a political awakening in the 60s, Americans just don't seem inclined to fix things. So I left. You can, too.
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