A Country Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Earn Your Gratitude or Allegiance

It just has to be yours

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

I get tired of people who refuse to show any gratitude or esteem to the country they voluntarily call home. And I have zero respect for those who embrace the privileges and benefits of their country on the one hand while hating and routinely trashing that same country repeatedly on the other.

Obviously, I need to make two points of clarification from the outset.

First, I write as an American. I’m a citizen of the United States, and that is therefore my primary frame of reference. Nevertheless, most of what I say can and does apply to just about any other stable or aspirational country on earth today. (More on that word “aspirational” shortly).

Second, I’m not saying that criticism of one’s country is inappropriate. On the contrary, holding your country accountable to worthy principles is the highest form of patriotism.

My criticism is aimed at those who either hate their country or are thoroughly ungrateful and apathetic toward their country — all while basking in its benefits and refusing to leave.

Those who hate their country or hold it in contempt should avail themselves, if at all possible, of the freedom and opportunity to leave their country. That’s…