Core Values

If there’s one thing I’ve always agreed with conservatives on, it’s this: if you hate America, you should leave. Why stay in a country you don’t respect, don’t value, or don’t love? If our way of life offends you so much, then nothing is forcing you to stay. That’s the beauty of freedom — you’re free to go. And if you truly can’t stand what America represents, it only makes sense to find another nation that better suits your beliefs.

America isn’t just a patch of land. It’s a set of ideals, a vision that generations have fought and sacrificed for. And if someone is opposed to those ideals, then they’re the ones who don’t belong here. America deserves citizens who believe in what this nation really stands for.

So let’s take that principle seriously. Let’s ask, plainly and honestly: what does America stand for? What are the values at its core? And if you reject those values, maybe you’re the one who should leave.

Science & Innovation

America has always been a leader in science and innovation. This is the nation that put the first men on the moon, pioneered the internet, mapped the human genome, and has won more Nobel Prizes in science than any other country in the world. From Edison’s light bulb to Silicon Valley’s microchips, from Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine to the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines, our progress has been fueled by curiosity, research, and discovery. Science is not just something America does — it’s something America is. If you’re anti-science, you should leave.

Diversity & Immigration

America is, at its core, a nation of immigrants. From the very beginning, people came here seeking freedom, opportunity, and a better life, and their cultures, languages, and traditions became part of the American fabric. The Statue of Liberty still stands in New York Harbor as a symbol of welcome to “the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Our economy, our arts, our cuisine, and even our military strength are built on diversity — on the contributions of people from every corner of the globe. Diversity isn’t a weakness; it’s America’s greatest strength. If you’re anti-diversity, you should leave.

Democracy & Voting Rights

America was born from the radical idea that government should derive its power from the consent of the governed. From the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution, our nation has always been defined by self-rule — citizens choosing their leaders through free and fair elections. Over time, we expanded that promise: abolishing property requirements, enfranchising women, passing the Voting Rights Act, lowering the voting age to 18. Each step brought us closer to the principle that every voice matters. Attempts to suppress votes, gerrymander districts, or cast doubt on legitimate elections run directly against the American project. Democracy is not negotiable; it is the heart of who we are. If you’re anti-democracy, you should leave.

Free Speech & Dissent

The very first freedom guaranteed in the Bill of Rights is the right to speak, publish, assemble, and protest without government interference. From abolitionists calling out slavery to civil rights marchers demanding equality, America’s progress has always depended on people raising their voices against injustice. The Boston Tea Party itself was an act of dissent — and we celebrate it as patriotic. Free speech isn’t about cheering the government; it’s about having the right to criticize it. If you can’t handle protest, if you want to silence opposing views, then you’re standing against the very first principle of American liberty. If you’re anti–free speech, you should leave.

Separation of Church & State

The Founders were clear: America would not be a nation ruled by religion. The First Amendment guarantees both the free exercise of faith and freedom from government establishment of religion. Thomas Jefferson spoke of a “wall of separation between Church and State,” and James Madison warned that religious influence in government would corrupt both church and politics alike. From the start, America has been a haven for religious pluralism — where Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, and others can all live freely without fear of state control. Theocracy is un-American by definition. If you want government to impose one religion’s rules on everyone, you should leave.

Progress & Reform

America’s story is one of constant reform, of expanding rights to those once denied them. We abolished slavery, enfranchised women, established child labor laws, passed civil rights legislation, recognized marriage equality — always pushing closer to the promise that “all men are created equal.” Every generation has fought to widen the circle of liberty, often against fierce resistance, yet progress has always been the American way. To reject progress is to deny the very arc of our history. If you’re anti-progress, you should leave.

Privacy & Love

The freedom to choose whom we love and build a life with is a core American right. From Loving v. Virginia striking down bans on interracial marriage to Obergefell v. Hodges recognizing same-sex marriage, our courts have affirmed again and again that the liberty to love is protected by the Constitution. Privacy in intimate relationships is part of what it means to live free, and millions of American families — interracial, same-sex, blended, adopted — embody that freedom every day. To stand against people’s right to love is to stand against America’s promise of liberty. If you’re anti-love, you should leave.

Bodily Autonomy

Freedom means little if we don’t control our own bodies. From the fight for reproductive rights to the right to refuse unwanted medical treatment, bodily autonomy has always been central to American liberty. The Supreme Court once recognized in Roe v. Wade that decisions about pregnancy belong to individuals, not the state — a principle rooted in privacy and freedom. Even before that, movements for women’s rights and patient rights affirmed the same truth: liberty includes sovereignty over our own bodies. To deny that is to deny freedom itself. If you’re anti–bodily autonomy, you should leave.

Equal Opportunity & Education

From the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 mandating public schools in new territories, to the land-grant universities that expanded higher education, to the GI Bill that sent millions of veterans to college, America has always invested in education as the engine of opportunity. Public schools lifted generations into the middle class, and federal student aid opened doors for families who had never before dreamed of college. Equal access to education is not charity — it is the foundation of the American Dream. If you’re anti-education, you should leave.

Rule of Law & Equal Justice

One of America’s proudest principles is that no one is above the law. From the Constitution’s checks and balances to the ideal of an independent judiciary, our system was designed to prevent tyranny and protect equal justice. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law, and the rule of law has long been our safeguard against kings, dictators, and demagogues. When leaders or citizens try to place themselves beyond accountability, they undermine the very structure that makes America free. If you’re against the rule of law, you should leave.

Economic Mobility

The American Dream has never been about aristocracy or inherited privilege — it has been about the chance to rise. Immigrants arriving with nothing built lives of prosperity; workers moved into the middle class through fair wages, unions, and opportunity; entrepreneurs turned ideas into industries that shaped the world. From Homestead Acts to small-business loans, America has always promised mobility: that where you start does not determine where you end. To entrench wealth and power in the hands of a few, while denying others the chance to climb, is to betray that dream. If you’re anti–economic mobility, you should leave.

Community & Shared Responsibility

America has always recognized that freedom flourishes when we look out for one another. Social Security ensures dignity in old age, Medicare provides care for seniors, and disaster relief helps communities rebuild after tragedy. Our interstate highways, public libraries, national parks, and fire departments are all testaments to the idea that we achieve more together than alone. Shared responsibility is not socialism — it is the American tradition of neighbors pooling resources to build a stronger, freer nation. If you’re against the idea of community, you’re against America itself. If you’re anti-community, you should leave.

Environmental Stewardship

Protecting the land has been an American value since the beginning. The creation of Yellowstone in 1872 made the United States the first nation in the world to establish national parks — a model now followed globally. Leaders from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Nixon championed conservation, passing the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act to safeguard public health and natural beauty alike. From our mountains and rivers to our farms and forests, stewardship of the environment is part of our national identity. If you’re anti-environment, you should leave.

Civil Liberties & Equality Under Law

The Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment enshrine the promise that every person in America is entitled to equal protection under the law. That principle has guided struggles for abolition, women’s suffrage, civil rights, disability rights, and marriage equality. Each movement has been an effort to make the Constitution’s guarantees real for more people, not fewer. Civil liberties are not privileges granted by the powerful — they are rights inherent to all. To deny them is to stand against the very text of our founding documents. If you’re anti–civil liberties, you should leave.

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Conservatives love to say, “If you hate America, then leave.” But let’s be honest: it’s they who are at war with what America truly represents. Look closely at each of the values that define this nation, and you’ll see that the loudest voices shouting “love it or leave it” are the very ones rejecting the essence of America.

Take science. America is a world leader in discovery because we invest in research, trust expertise, and follow evidence. Yet Republican leaders have downplayed climate change, defunded scientific agencies, and turned public health into a partisan battle during the COVID-19 pandemic — even mocking scientists for saving lives. That’s not pro-America; that’s anti-science.

Look at diversity. From Donald Trump’s Muslim ban to his promise to build a wall, Republicans have made fear of immigrants central to their platform, even though immigration is America’s heartbeat. They demonize refugees, restrict asylum, and scapegoat newcomers — forgetting that their own families, like all of ours, came from elsewhere. That is not love of America; that is contempt for its foundations.

On democracy, Republicans have tried to restrict it. In dozens of states, they’ve passed laws limiting mail-in voting, purging voter rolls, and gerrymandering districts so severely that politicians pick their voters instead of the other way around. They even supported an attempt to overturn a free and fair presidential election on January 6, 2021 — a direct assault on the very principle of self-rule. That’s not patriotism; that’s a rejection of democracy itself.

Free speech and dissent? Republicans wrap themselves in the First Amendment when it suits them, but they condemn athletes who kneel during the anthem, call teachers “un-American” for teaching hard history, and push book bans in schools and libraries. They want free speech for themselves and censorship for everyone else. That’s not American liberty; that’s authoritarianism in disguise.

Separation of church and state has been shredded by Republicans who openly argue for America to be declared a Christian nation. They cheer court rulings that force religious doctrine into public schools, restrict reproductive healthcare based on theology, and funnel public money into church institutions. That is not the secular republic the Founders created.

Progress and reform? Republicans stand against it at every turn. They opposed the Civil Rights Act, resisted women’s equality, fought against same-sex marriage, and now seek to roll back rights already won. America moves forward, but they are forever trying to drag it backward.

Privacy and love? Republicans rail against same-sex marriage, attempt to strip away protections for LGBTQ Americans, and even call for the Supreme Court to revisit Obergefell. They argue that the state should control who can marry whom, despite America’s long tradition of expanding freedom in matters of love and family.

Bodily autonomy? The Republican Party led the charge to overturn Roe v. Wade after half a century, and now they’re passing laws forcing women and girls to carry pregnancies against their will, even in cases of rape or danger to their health. Some even talk openly of banning contraception. There is nothing “free” about government ownership of bodies.

Equal opportunity and education? Republicans slash public school funding, demonize teachers, and push vouchers that drain resources from the very schools that built the middle class. They ban books, censor curricula, and attack higher education as “elitist.” That is not expanding opportunity; it is narrowing it.

Rule of law? Republicans elevate leaders who flout subpoenas, ignore court orders, and undermine the independence of the judiciary. They excuse corruption in their own ranks while demanding harsh punishment for their opponents. They chant “law and order” but make exceptions for their chosen few. That is not equality before the law — it is selective justice.

Economic mobility? Republicans champion tax cuts for billionaires and corporations while opposing wage increases, unions, and social programs that give working families a fair shot. They protect entrenched wealth while leaving ordinary Americans struggling to climb. That’s not the American Dream; it’s a betrayal of it.

Community and shared responsibility? Republicans deride programs like Social Security and Medicare as “entitlements” even though they are lifelines earned by working people. They cut food assistance for the poor, oppose healthcare expansion, and sneer at the very idea of government helping its citizens. That’s not community; it’s cruelty.

Environmental stewardship? Republicans deny climate change, dismantle clean air and water protections, and sell off public lands for private gain. They’ve turned conservation — once a bipartisan American ideal — into a culture war. That’s not protecting America’s heritage; it’s destroying it.

And civil liberties? Republicans have restricted LGBTQ rights, attempted Muslim bans, fought against voting protections, and undermined the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection. They seek to limit liberty to a privileged few instead of extending it to all. That is not the America envisioned in the Constitution.

So let’s be clear: when conservatives chant “love it or leave it,” they are the ones spitting on the values they claim to defend. They oppose science, diversity, democracy, free speech, secularism, progress, love, autonomy, education, equal justice, mobility, community, environmental protection, and civil rights. In other words, they oppose America.

And if you oppose America — if you hate its freedoms, its values, its progress, and its promise — then maybe you should take your own advice. If you hate America, you should leave.