A flag, a song and a nation divided by racial tensions and injustice; this is America.
For some, the freedom and pride that comes along with being American is represented through our flag and our national anthem, but I’m here to break the news to you: it is so
much more than that.

Sitting and kneeling during the national anthem is nothing new in America, yet it has created one of the biggest divides among people in this country to date. But the divide isn’t caused specifically by kneeling before a football game or sitting during the pledge in first period. The divide is due to the reasoning. Quite simply, everyone has a different perspective on life in America.

Both the American flag and the national anthem are symbols, and no great country is founded on symbolism. America was founded on freedoms, liberties and the privileged right to have a choice. In some places around the world (North Korea, Venezuela, Syria,
etc.), simply having an opinion is illegal and can even get you killed.

In the past year, the media and society in America have become a dangerously divided place of hatred, and our once “united nation” gone. The idea that not participating in the worship of a flag or song being is disrespectful to America is outlandish.

To anyone who asks, “why don’t you stand?”, the answer is everywhere around you. We live in a country that takes such pride in all men being equal when, in fact, there are stipulations and inequality. That is wrong. Not until every person is treated the exact same, no matter their physical appearance, will all of America stand.

From Martin Luther King, Jr. to Colin Kaepernick, the road to change has been paved. From urban cities to suburban neighborhoods, injustice will end and equality will
arise.

Whether you sit or stand, always remember: “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” – Colin Kaepernick

By Chloe Treat