Image by Jordan Ladikos.

I used to be proud of being a citizen of the United States of America. My parents were part of what has been called the “Greatest Generation.” My dad served in England in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and I was raised to be proud of the many Americans who gave their lives in defense of democracy.

I also was proud that the United States played a major role at the United Nations (UN). At the UN, the US government joined with other nations to help poorer countries combat hunger and disease. That was also part of supporting democracy and, more broadly, supporting human rights.

I know that the US government hasn’t always lived up to its ideals. It has overthrown democratically elected governments and replaced them with authoritarians who promised to be pro-American. But, in many cases, it did the right thing, helping nations and people who were less fortunate. At its best, the United States had a strong moral compass.

The Trump administration has made it clear that the US government is no longer interested in doing the right thing. Now it is only concerned about “America First,” and it is also a very narrow........

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