Independence Day is a celebration of what makes America wonderful: freedom. So it's fitting that on July 4, 2016, professional wrestler John Cena shared an important, positive message about what it means to be an American.
"Almost half the country belongs to minority groups," Cena says in a public service announcement for the non-profit Ad Council. "People who are lesbian, African American, bi, transgender, and Native American, and proud of it.
"We know that labels don't devalue us; they help define us, keeping us dialed into our cultures and our beliefs in who we are as Americans. After all, what's more American than freedom to celebrate the things that makes us us."
The "We Are America" advertisement is part of the Ad Council's "Love Has No Labels" campaign. The video aims to paint a better portrait of how diverse the population of the United States really is, and why we need to more inclusive in our definition of patriotism.
"This year, patriotism shouldn't just be about pride of country," Cena says. "It should be about love. Love beyond age, disability, sexuality, race, religion, and any other labels. Because the second any of us judge people based on those labels, we're not really being patriotic, are we?"
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