America, the beautiful.  
 
Nationalism is a word that has fallen from grace in recent years. In the United States of America, the word is used as a catch-all of contempt for anyone who has a grievance against the collective. I am here to tell you that it is not a bad word at all. 

Some argue that nationalism lacks virtue because national identity is a chance of birth rather than earned merit. While I agree that simply being born somewhere does not automatically make someone a meaningful part of a nation, a piece of paper or a birth certificate does not dictate true citizenship. It’s an individual's actions, character, and contributions that truly unlock their belonging to this great nation. 
 
We are approaching 250 years of us trying to figure this thing out. We have had ups and downs, but we are out here trying to make it work. Don't let them tell you that your efforts are wasted or that your nationalism is inherently bad. Instead ask yourself what you are doing to deserve your citizenship? What are you going to do to make this place worthy of the ideals in which it was created?  
 
Don’t forget who you are, American. 

-A.H.