You asked me to serve you, and I did.
You asked me to continue to serve you, and I did.
You asked me to go overseas for you, and I did.
You asked me to stay overseas for you, and I did.
You asked me to go into harm’s way for you, and I did.
You gave me commendations and citations, awards and medals. You promoted me.
I gave you my youth, which you were glad to have.
I was injured for you, which you did not fix.
Still, I paid my taxes.
I did this willingly, gladly, and yes, proudly.
I am a patriot.
I do not ask you what you owe me.
I do not make demands of you.
If I have not paid my fair share, then who has?
When you sent me overseas to defend you for years, did you not expect me to find love?
You promised to look after and care for her.
You sent me into harm’s way again.
But you did not care for her.
You rejected her. You would not accept her.
Is it surprising that we returned overseas to make our lives? To have and to raise our family?
I am now amongst your staunchest of allies. I am Australian.
I was asked to work on behalf of the Australian Defense Force, and I did.
I was asked to work on behalf of the US Coast Guard, and I did.
Still, I pay my taxes.
I pay taxes to the country I have lived and worked in for over two decades.
I pay taxes to the country that took me in when you rejected me.
I pay taxes to the country that will look after me in my old age, that defends me now that I am no longer a young man.
I ask for nothing from you.
I take nothing from you.
I am Australian.
And yet you demand from me.
You threaten me.
You call me a traitor.
You demand obsequiousness, unquestioned and endless fealty.
It is you who have forgotten what it is to be American.
Editor’s note: This story was posted as a comment on one of the news stories about the quarterly list of persons renouncing citizenship. It is reproduced here with permission of the author.