It is a great thing to be proud of and grateful for the country you come from. It is an even greater thing, I submit, to show your pride and gratefulness in ways that are proactive and productive. One of the best ways that I, as an American, have decided to actively support my country is by displaying our nation's stars and stripes in every place that I can.
My country's flag, the stars and stripes, is perhaps the most American of all symbols we have. Among other things, houses, schools, businesses and even cars choose to show their support for America by displaying proudly the stars and stripes. You do not have to drive very far down any street or through any neighborhood in our country before you see a flag flying high in the wind.
There is something about the stars and stripes that makes people feel really American and reminds them about the sacred history of our nation. Most Americans cannot help but think of the great freedoms that our country enjoys and the sacrifices that have been made in order to attain that freedom with each sight of the stars and stripes they have. The stars and stripes remind Americans of the founding of our country, of the great Civil War that took place to bring freedom to many of our captives, and of the men and women who have spent their lives to preserve the lives of others.
Not all Americans love the stars and stripes like I do. In fact, some people choose to harm and even burn the American flag in protest against the values or actions of our country. Often during times of war, for example, Americans can be found burning the stars and stripes to symbolize the way our country is being destroyed through war. Although in some ways burning a flag seems to go against everything that America stands for, in other ways this kind of protest is exactly what forms the substance of America: freedom. America is the kind of place where Americans can spend their life honoring and protecting the stars and stripes or harming and destroying the stars and stripes. Each response to our country's freedoms must be tolerated by the other.
There are many ways to show your support for the country you love. However, there are few ways as striking and memorable as displaying proudly the stars and stripes.