Do you feel like an American?

I've heard it said that we Americans value independence and freedom, that we are a melting pot of cultures and traditions, and that these qualities make us a good country. However, I feel like we are NOT independent and NOT free. I feel like we strive to be told how to feel and think, whether it be by mainstream media or political parties or religion. We have freedoms that other countries do not, but every day we willingly deprive others and ourselves of those same liberties. Those don't sound like the actions of people who had to fight for their rights and freedoms. Those sound like the actions of a people who are looking for someone to tell them how to live. Do you feel free and independent, or do you feel like, everywhere you go, you are bombarded with people trying to get you to watch a certain tv show, vote a certain way, belong to a particular church? Are we even free anymore, or have we opressed ourselves?