I was still a young child the first time I thought, I am really lucky to be an American. 

Even then, I understood that there were people around the world far less fortunate.

I had the freedom go to church. To talk about God no matter where I was. Unlike our brothers and sisters in Christ that my parents told me about. They were imprisoned, tortured and even killed for Jesus in other parts of the world.

I lived in a land of opportunity, where things like food and clean water are taken for granted. Unlike children in other parts of the world, who had to walk miles for a drink and may never have the chance to go to school. 

I knew the things we valued in America, things like equality and human rights, were hated by evil people around the world. People so evil they wanted to fly planes into our towers and kill our citizens. 

Far From Perfect

Over time I began to understand more deeply my country’s less-than-proud moments. The Founding Fathers, for all their wisdom, were far from perfect. 

While religious freedom is celebrated as a fundamental right today, it was not always realized for early Americans. 

Native Americans have long been abused and neglected by our government. 

Less than a hundred years ago, women didn’t have the right to vote, though now I count it as one of my most precious rights.

Instead of disparaging America because of our dark moments, we should be thankful that we have a nation were we can fight for change. 

And for too long, the God-given equality described in the Declaration of Independence did not include an entire group of Americans. The ramifications of slavery are still being played out today.

It’s popular these days to consider all these imperfections and decry America itself. And indeed, we must recognize, mourn for and repent of those misdeeds. But we needn’t feel ashamed to call ourselves Americans. If anything, we ought to be proud that in America, we have the right to improve. 

Privilege and Responsibility

In their wisdom, my parents made it clear that as Americans, we have not only the right to improve, but the responsibility. So they taught me what it means to be a good citizen.

They brought me along to the voting booth. To local protests. They drove me to see-you-at-the-pole meetings. They let me volunteer and write letters to the editor. The more they involved me in civic activities, even local ones, the more proud — and thankful — I was to be an American. The more invested I became in my country, the more passionate I became about helping to preserve it and make it even better. And the more I realized how special it is to even have the chance to make a real difference.

When I first became aware of my luck of being born American, I didn’t associate the word “privilege” with those feelings. But that’s exactly what it was, and what it is. It’s a privilege to have been born in the United States — a privilege that my own ancestors provided by working to come here generations ago. A privilege that other Americans have died to protect. A privilege that it is my duty to maintain.

This Independence Day, I recognize that I am privileged to be an American. And I’m thankful.