So often these days, I just feel so weary. Weary of life, of everything I see happening around me in these troubled times. Politicians only concerned for power, propaganda spread every waking moment from speakers and screens across the nation, injustice rearing its head over and over in so many places. More than anything I'm tired of the lies, the prejudice, the division, the hypocrisy. I'm tired of being told that I can only ever feel shame and hatred for my people, my country. For myself, even. And it never ceases, a constant churn of emotional arson and deceptive doublespeak telling us time and again how we must only be outraged, angry, hateful, divided. Us against them, time and again, because they only exist to destroy and oppress us. Such a burden of hatred is tiring to the soul. I duck my head and let it pass, informing myself of the truth when I can but wishing more than anything to merely be left alone to live my life. But keeping silent and wanting to be left alone is not enough to stop the monster before me, to sate its hunger for blood. Saying nothing only allows it to tax my soul unchallenged.

I have had enough.

I stand before you today to tell you that I love my country. I love the United States of America! And nothing will ever change that while the flag of freedom still flies in this land. She is far from perfect, even now. But while her flaws may cause a groaning in the land, while there are still things that must be addressed and fixed, she is still a far better land now than at any point in her history. We are not a failed nation because of our flaws, but a great one because of how far we have come in spite of that imperfection.
My country, the USA, was founded on the fundamental truth that all men are create equal, that all should be free to live peaceably as they see fit, bound only by the collective agreement to let others do the same. That all who came to her shores would be free to worship as they see fit, to hold any creed or conviction as moved them, so long as those beliefs did no harm to their neighbors. A land built on the ideals of liberty, supported by fundamental values and assured of fundamental rights.
This country was founded on the belief that all of us in this shared human experience were of equal value, had an equal right to life free of tyranny and oppression. No matter the amount of melanin in one's skin, or the genitals between one's legs, or the beliefs that one cleaves closest to in their heart, or any other factor in this great tapestry of humanity. This principle of freedom and equality and justice is the thing that binds our country together.

The first implementation was regrettably imperfect; The consequence of allowing freedom of thought and speech is the fact of disagreement, and compromises were made in order to bring this nation into being. The repercussions were felt for far too long, and took a great effort to repair.
But is this last not the true operative?
We began imperfect, we are imperfect today, but we are far better now than we were at our founding. It has been a long, hard road filled with opposition from those who only seek power over others, but the people of our country have fought tooth and nail to make her founding ideals all the more a reality. Some look back and see slavery, misogyny, division. I look back and see emancipation, suffrage, civil rights. Some look to the past and see the failures of flawed men, but I see the victories of determination and justice that reversed those wrongs. Those who love liberty and justice throughout the years have worked tirelessly to repair that which our founders were unable to, have striven to only make this into a more perfect union. And time and again, right has succeeded.

There are those today who hate my country, who judge its present by its past with no regard for the efforts and struggles of those who brought about change. Those who wish to destroy America only stoke anger and hatred in those around them, creating a wildfire of strife and destruction. Those who seek power only act to divide us and turn us upon one another, manipulating emotion and eroding truth until the masses obey them unquestioningly, for they know not that there are questions to ask. So many today divide my countrymen into groups and set them upon each other based on the most superficial of differences; They cultivate a culture of "Us vs Them," a society of tribalism where any person is either like us and therefore completely right, or unlike us and therefore completely wrong. It is this culture of hatred and division and strife that I reject wholeheartedly. Hatred is not the answer, and never will be. It can only destroy all around us, and will ultimately destroy us as we are consumed by it.

I stand before you all today, a community I partake in that spans the globe, to tell you that I love my country because of its ideals and in spite of its flaws. I acknowledge that it is imperfect while celebrating its every effort to minimize that imperfection. I cleave to its bold statement of a fundamental truth of this world: Everyone in this human experience is of equal worth, and deserves to live as such. And I will continue to strive to live up to that ideal, and all others enshrined in her founding; Those of liberty, justice, freedom.

I call upon all my countrymen to do the same.

Let us throw off the divisions, the games of group identity that other all our fellow humans outside of our groups. Today, of all days, see each other the way I see you; Not as your skin tone, your sexual preference, your religion, your gender. But as a human, as an individual, and as an American. Be who you want, believe what you want, you are free to do so. To say otherwise is to engage in the very hypocrisy that I tire of. But rally under one flag above all others, that of the country that we live in and should all rightly love. Call yourself an American, pledge yourself to her ideals, and do what you can to right what wrongs remain, in justice and in love. Remember the pledge that each of us who loves her has made to her flag, and work to reunite the land of freedom. Reach out not to harm those around you, but to help them. Love your neighbors, and love your country. Let our ideals burn away the darkness and shine bright for the world to see as we all come together, and let us proclaim the truth of who we are to refute the lies. Let us turn away from division, tyranny, injustice. Let us stand indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And to those of you who I do not share a country with, know that I love you no less and wish no harm to any of you. You are just as valuable, just as precious, just as human, as those within the borders of my nation. May you always have hope and live in happiness. Know that as long as our ideals burn bright within you, you will always be welcome here.

No matter where you are as you read this, I proclaim to you today: I am proud to be an American, I love my country, and I will feel no shame for doing so.
And no matter what others may tell you, no matter what lies or misinformation may come your way, know that I will only ever love you and welcome you as a fellow traveler in this world, as a brother or sister or whatever else you may be.