228 years ago, a bunch of wealthy white British separatists decided they had enough of The Man across the lake. They drafted The Declaration of Independence and went on to convince their fellow settlers that they were freedom fighters and not terrorists. Believe it or not, these insurgents of British rule succeeded in kicking out the old regime and became The United States of America.

Through wars, politics, high court decisions and thousands of growing pains, the US of A went on to become the biggest and final superpower in the known world. It is the country I have called home all of my life, and there's no place I'd rather be.

Does this mean I faithfully and blindly support the actions of my government? Absolutely not. Does this mean I embrace every other American and their beliefs? No way. Do I bleed red, white, and blue? You better believe it.

What are some things I love about America:

Baseball, fireworks, multi-plex cinemas, contemporary theatre, rock n' roll, the first amendment, weekends of televised football, Mark Twain, hip-hop, microbrews, democracy, wine from California and Oregon, paved highways from sea to shining sea, DVDs, ice cream, the underdog, cruising, basketball tournaments, discount airplane tickets, barbecues, environmentalists, thrift store clothing, artists, dissent, jazz, home delivery, bourbon, sexy women of every race and creed, holidays, Charles Bukowski, national parks and monuments, local parks to picnic and run around, tradition, debate, and potential regime changes on a regular basis.

What are some things that embarrass me about America:

Arrogance, bigotry, abundance of guns, lousy educational system, Indian reservations, climbing gas prices, rising obesity, religious belligerence, telemarketers, self righteousness, greed, spam e-mails, cell phones, Manifest Destiny, reality TV, ignorance, suburbs, tax cuts for the rich, fear for our safety, racial profiling, lying and deception from our leaders, speed traps, glorification of the youth, expensive prescription drugs, the persecution of marijuana, hate crimes, road rage, and inability for many to work together for a common good.

We have so many freedoms that most take them for granted. We can read any book we want, watch any movie we want, listen to any kind of music we want, write any kind of words we want, worship any kind of god we want, eat any kind of food we want, wear any kind of clothes we want, fuck whoever will let us, work and quit whatever jobs we get, vote at 18, drink at 21, and have access to all kinds of information. We have the right to do so many things that people forget to take advantage of most of them.

It's a double-edged sword being patriotic. If you say something is wrong with the nation, people see it as a danger. If you talk about changing the system, they label you a trouble maker. If people actually listen to you, the establishment sees you as a revolutionary and a traitor. As much as I love my country, I see hundreds of ways to make it better. True Americans always strive for a more perfect union.

I'm still discovering new ways to appreciate what a good thing I have here. The most important thing to do is to never take this place for granted. It's the still the best thing going. Happy birthday, America.

Chris Jungle is free.