I'm never as proud of the United States as when I'm traveling internationally. That might seem strange given the anti-American comments I hear on a regular basis when I'm outside of our borders. The minute I open my mouth, and people hear my accent, I out myself as an American. Sometimes, this leads to positive conversations about our country with people who have favorable impressions of the USA. More common, however, when people recognize my most American voice, are vitriolic diatribes against our foreign policies, our culture, our presidents (whoever is in office), our consumption and even our eating habits. ("Obesity in America is a metaphor for your country's gluttonous gobbling-up of the world's resources." Wow. How to respond to that?)

One only need read a posting or two that I have written for this blogsite to realize that I can be critical of my country and our leaders. I liken my criticism of the U.S. to the disappointment my parents expressed if I brought home a mediocre report card. A grade of C might be acceptable for other children, but it wasn't good enough for their son. My parents would criticize me for poor academic performance, not because they didn't love me, but because they knew I could do better. My criticism of the United States is not because I'm unpatriotic and because I don't love my country. It's the complete opposite. It's because I want what's best for my country and I know we can do better. Just as family members can say negative things about one another (but non-family members best keep their comments to themselves) I will always defend our country against anti-Americanism while I'm abroad. I understand that the decisions we make as Americans sometimes affect the world in a negative way, but I want our country to be judged in its totality. And the U.S. gets a lot of things right. When the world is in trouble, Americans respond. Whether it's a natural disaster in Thailand, Haiti or Japan, Americans help out. Our commitment to volunteerism and philanthropy, especially in times of emergencies, is exceptional. Our free-market economy, with all of its faults, can still offer opportunities impossible to imagine in other parts of the world. Our transportation system, which safely moves millions of Americans daily via roads, air and water, is a model of efficiency that weary commuters and travelers in other countries marvel at. Elections that are free, the ability to say what's on our mind (with no fear of government retaliation), a police force that is not corrupt, water that is safe to drink – are all things that we take for granted and that the majority of people in the world lack. It's just a few of the laundry list of items that America gets right. Being a proud American means I will always try to counter anti-American sentiment when I travel internationally, even though I know that some people's dislike of our country is so strong that they will probably never be won over. Being a proud American also means that I will continue to criticize the U.S. when we make mistakes, because of all the things that America gets right, freedom of speech is at the top of the list for me.