A surprising amount of what this site cares about grew up here in the US: the transistor, the internet, the idea (or the trope) that two people in a garage can take on corporate behemoths, the venture-backed startup model, etc. And a lot of HN has a personal stake in the place -- immigrants (me included) who bet their careers on a US grad degree and a visa lottery, citizens who built companies here, people abroad who work for (or compete with) American firms every day.
So on the 250th, I'm curious what America means to you, personally. Some prompts:
If you immigrated: what pulled you here, and has it held up? If you were born here: what do you hope the country looks like at 300? If you left, or chose never to come: what did you see that the rest of us might be missing?
Finally, what the most romantic ideal you have of America that you think would be worth sharing?
Happy 4th of July, HN!