Not until later in school, when one day we were told that going to church and believe in God is forbidden, I begun to think of how could anyone be so ignorant as to forbid something that is beyond their control - a faith. And once I started to develop the ability to think (as oppose to follow), I begun seeing the lies, ignorance and darkness all around me.

Some years later, after migrating to the U.S. and living here for a while, I was preparing to become an American citizen. The process is quite simple and involves a test on literacy and the American history. To help us prepare for this event, we were supplied with a brochure filled with basic information that every American needs to know. But being cursed with the ability to think, I was astonished by one of the sample questions: "Why is America the best country in the world?".
Lo and Behold! We get the answer: A collection of Rights, such as freedom of speech and religion that are granted to the American people and guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

To my indescribable horror I could not see the Right that I needed the most - the Right to Breathe! My body screamed for oxygen and I realized that the Founders must have simply missed this one. I could not believe that in such a Great Country I'm not afforded the right to breathe, but my body demanded the air and the life was draining... And so it would end, had I not remembered that I am a conscious being and able to make my own choices – freedom granted to me by the Universe - and with that I inhaled.

When I came to my senses – after being deprived by the lack of oxygen - and looked around, America was still standing! I did not see any of the Founders with the sword raised above my head, so I breathed again, and again... And I asked myself, "Did I leave one dark place just to move to another asylum?"

Every time I hear, "I am proud to be an American!" or "This is the best country in the world!” I cannot help but to remember that such rhetoric of self-conditioning is usually attributed to the low self-esteem (psychologists would diagnosed it as an inferiority complex). That's why such statements are made mainly by the people living under tyrannical governments: USSR, North Korea, Cuba, etc. These governments need to brainwash their people to condition them to ignore the Truth, reality and common sense.

I'm puzzled as to why it is happening in America, since I don't usually hear such statements from British, Italians, Australians or people from many other free nations around the world? May be they are ashamed of not being Americans?
Or, may be some people in America are trying to condition themselves to ignore the reality and avoid seeing the wrongs that we do? After all “I'm proud to be an American!” and everything else is irrelevant.

No, America is not the best country in the world. But it’s the only country where an immigrant from a far away land or someone who is lost, can find the place that feels just like home. Yes, America is that place, which the most unusual person amongst us can call home, and that is truly unique and dear to someone like me.