What does being American mean to you? Options

[Inferia]

I know I've been accused many times of hating this country or somewhere along the lines of that, sometimes people say if you don't like it here, you should just leave. In reality, as much as it may not seem like it, I actually really like this country and have a lot of respect for the people here. I may disagree with many of them politically and philosophically, isn't that the point of this country though - that everyone is free to have and express their own opinions?

I started my citizenship applications recently. I could've done so awhile ago, and for a long time people asked me why am not a citizen or have not applied to become a citizen. Most of the time, I sort of just brush the question off. I've always known why, a lot of people become citizens for the benefits of living here, there's nothing wrong with that since this is what people have done for centuries. I've always felt that before I became American, I have to understand what it means to be American, or perhaps I should say what does America mean to me.

Since most of the people on this board are born American, you don't actually have to make a decision on your citizenship. But I feel like you must at one point think about about what your citizenship means and what being American mean to you.

[Oasis]

God you must be kidding me, thought this was supposed to be
The home of the brave and the free for you and me
But now there's something wrong - shit's been going on too long.
It's never gonna change, there's no way i say.
What's the CIA and the NRA?
They're all the same - just the names are changed.
Fuck - there's no excuse - any way you lose.
It's all a joke in the good old USA.
All we need is more factories pumping filth into the sky.
Corporate greed and perverted priests, it's the story of our lives.
And apathy's the national disease and there is no end in sight.
God save the USA - blame the president and say your prayers tonight.
The irony of liberty is no one here is truly free
When elections are stolen by the G.O.P.
So watch the nightly news - find out how you are getting screwed.
What you gonna do? - there's no use i say
Fuck the industry - the aristocracy
Fuck they're all the same - just the names are changed.
Fuck ther's no excuse, any way you lose.
It's all a joke in the good old USA.
Government hypocricy - American Idolatry - Corporate philosophy.
Nightly news of tragedies - Where no one cares what's right or wrong
Our heroes now are all long gone - The freedoms that we all abuse
The obituaries front page news