Do I hate America because I'm Muslim?

I don't hate America.

I do hate many of its foreign policies.

I do not like many of its allies (I even hate a few).

I don't like most of the politicians, especially in Wisconsin.

I don't like a lot of what the culture has become, I mean, who can be proud to say we come from the country that has the world's highest teen pregnancy rate (and even has a reality tv show to glorify it), one of the world's highest rape rates, and the highest rate of child molesters in the world.

I don't like how little respect America shows to the rest of the world.

I don't like how the American military has just become mercenaries.

I don't like how we give one country money for weapons to kill another country, but blame everyone else when people hate America.

I don't like the health care system, how a quality education has become something we dream of, how even going to college doesn't mean you will ever find a job.

I don't like a lot of things.

But not everyone can love everything, right?

I do vote.  I do pay taxes.  I owned and operated a small business for many years.

I go to college.

I love the diversity of America.

I love small towns.

I love that I have the right to believe in what I want, say what I want, wear what I want, and be who I want.

I love that I have the right to dislike my government and say so without being targeted.

The problem is, no matter what I say and what I do I will never be 100% free in my country.  I don't have the right to say what I want, believe what I want, wear what I want without being discriminated against.  I can't voice my disapproval or people think I hate Americans. Fred can say it, Bob can say it, Mary can say it.

If José or Ahmed were to say it people would say, they should go back to their country.

What a crock of shit!  I'm sorry but if you can't trace your ancestry back to the Native Americans, shut the hell up. If people are here legally, work, vote, pay taxes they have a right to an opinion just like everyone else, even if it is not what you want to hear.

Just because I'm Muslim and disapprove of some or even most of my countries policies doesn't make me a terrorist or an American hater. Actually, I had all of my political opinions before I was Muslim.

People need to stop the labeling.  Stop the hate.  Grow the heck up.

I don't hate America.  And none of you would think I did if walked around without my headscarf, used my birth name (Stephanie Something-or-another), and was not Muslim.  You probably wouldn't even notice.

For most of you who read this, you found this because, well the words hate, America, and Muslim draw in a pretty big crowd.  Curiosity?  Another reason to spread hate against Muslims?

Well sorry to disappoint you.