You can be proud of your nation while admitting it has its faults. I don't understand why it has to be so binary.

meanwhile I'm trying to turn the question around to ask why one should do that in the first place. And this point right now beautifully counters most of what was brought forward in response.

Some of the responses today came down to "not being able to love my flag is ridiculous," which is just a platitude and eliminates any ability for reflection.

Dude, I'm not assuming. I'm not even accusing. I'm just trying to follow your line of reasoning because I find this a super interesting point to explore

But that's not a thing to be proud of. How is "we're better than a country that would have simply killed her" any kind of bar? Her life is still miserable in Canada even though it is her home and she never even knew anything else.

I'm not blind to anything, you're assuming I live and die by the decisions of the maple leaf.

I don't agree at all that showcasing another countries flaws is punching down. Living in Canada improved your friends life without question over her situation in China, and that's something that Canadian's can be proud of.