Poor Canada.

The nation to our north has played Ashlee Simpson to America's Jessica for the last hundred years. They have lived in the shadow of the United States and endured years of mocking, as highlighted by South Park's seminal classic "Blame Canada." We laugh at the people for saying "eh," for the chilly climate, for its less valuable dollar - well, for everything.

Not only is it our perpetual target, but Americans are attempting to use Canada as a dumping ground for our less desirable citizens.

As the election grows closer, many people have abandoned any pretext of civil debate and have devolved to name-calling: "dims" and "rats" for Democrats, "repugs" and "repukes" for Republicans. When the argument really stalls, someone inevitably says out of exasperation, "Well, if you don't like it here, just move to Canada!"

An attitude of, "Love it or leave it" pervades the American consciousness. We take such pride in our country, a sense of self-respect honed by years of schooling and message reinforcement. In preschool, we learned to pledge allegiance before many of us knew what "allegiance" meant.

In the summer, we attended Fourth of July festivities and covered our ears to hide from the booming noises. Much of our education focused on American scientists, authors, politicians and other historical figures, promoting our glory above all. This practice made us proud and motivated us to accomplish great things in the name of our nation. However, there is a darker side to this collective sense of pride.

By focusing on the wonders of our nation, many of us have become defensive about it. We are reluctant to acknowledge its imperfections. When we hear criticisms about America from people abroad, we instantly write it off by saying, "They just don't understand" or "They're jealous of us." When I was in middle school, I was friends with a girl from Canada who hated it here. She criticized Americans for everything, even accusing us of being insincere when we apologize. I always laughed and said, "Sorry about that."

When the criticism comes from a fellow American, however, it becomes more difficult to excuse.

Americans are a diverse people; it can be difficult to find common ground with so many different races, heritages, cultures, religions and more. When another American jabs at our only binding feature, we often feel hurt. Why is the country not good enough for them? Why are we not good enough for them? So we hide our insecurities and lash out, saying, "If it's so awful, why are you here? Why not move to Canada?"

There are two main problems with that statement. First, saying that there are imperfections in our political system is not analogous to calling the country "awful." People exaggerate each other's words, compounding the problem. Second, if someone takes the active interest to bring up a problem, then the last thing that you should encourage them to do is move away.

We all know America is a great nation, but as citizens, we have a duty to make it still better. We need to welcome criticisms, for there is no other way to bring about the necessary changes. Change is scary, of course. Humans are creatures of habit whose evolution and adaptation takes thousands of years. However, if you want this nation to be better for your children, it is up to you to raise your voice about problems in our society, not stifle those who would dare to do so.

Ralph Nader has raised some important questions about the Republican and Democratic parties and the hypocrisy we sometimes engage in. Yet people from both major political groups repeatedly bemoan his presence and encourage him to "move on" or "move north" to Canada, as if silencing him will wipe away the problems he exposes. In such a difficult time, it is essential to have an independent voice like Nader. He has virtually no chance of being elected, but that makes his job even more important: He can raise the issues free from fear of wounding his political chances.

Though our history is strong, America has a long way to go. The "love it or leave it" attitude is yet another flat tire-inducing pothole on the road to success. Few are serious when they make such a demand, but even the knowledge of such a mindset stifles speech and hinders our nation's progress.

If you really love your child, you do not just feed him junk food and let him watch all the television he wants, but you make him learn, play well with others and experience life.

Just because he questions what you teach him is not a valid reason to ship him to Canada.

Those who criticize our country are the best citizens we have. Why should we waste them on Canada?