Colin Kaepernick is making headlines by refusing to stand up for the national anthem recently. Not going to lie. When I heard something an NFL player did was making waves, I was bracing myself for something terrible. Did he beat his wife? Did he rape a woman? Did he torture and abuse animals? Did he beat his son in the testicles with a switch? Did he kill some people and get away with it? I shudder to think what could have the nation more embroiled than all of the above incidents did.
Well, it turns out this is seriously the bigger issue than the formers. How dare he? Doesn't he know that the country made him a millionaire? If it wasn't for people fighting for his freedoms, he'd be speaking German! Or is it Chinese now? Russian? Hard to keep up with who is the threat lurking right outside of the US anymore.
But this Kaepernick debate has been going on for longer than him. It has been recurring in our classrooms too. Should students be forced to stand for the pledge? Are the children who don't awful? Are their parents awful? What's the most creative way we should punish or intimidate children into doing the pledge? Does it count if they don't say "under god"? How can I use the image of wounded veterans to make my point?!?!
Nailed it!
One of the most underrated benefits of being a veteran is getting used as cannon fodder (again) for other people's debates. It's seriously the best thing ever, please everyone keep it up.
Now, for me, I absolutely do stand for the national anthem, and intend to do so for the rest of my days. But do I do it because I feel obligated to, or because I think I owe my country? I don't make millions like Kaepernick, but whatever money I do have is thanks to my country right? It has nothing to do with the work I put in personally.
The weird thing is when Obama made his infamous "You didn't build that" quote, the same people who said he was taking away from hard working business owners are the same ones implying that Kaepernick owes his fortune to the country. He didn't make that money due to his talent and hard work, but every business owner owes practically nothing to the country? How do these two thoughts coexist?
The weird thing is when Obama made his infamous "You didn't build that" quote, the same people who said he was taking away from hard working business owners are the same ones implying that Kaepernick owes his fortune to the country. He didn't make that money due to his talent and hard work, but every business owner owes practically nothing to the country? How do these two thoughts coexist?
Now, I think there is an element of truth to both Obama's quote and the people saying the same about Kaepernick. He is making millions because we are a country that made his talents valuable, and gave him the opportunity to work his way up. If he was born in North Korea, he'd be the fastest running laborer a task master ever had. But he'd be far from a millionaire.
But something that is important to me is that these symbols have their own meaning for people. What "country" means can mean something totally different to me than it does to you. To me, the flag is a representation to the hard work of Americans past and present. A representation to the mythology of the US. That we support democracy. We support the downtrodden and the weak. That every person is equal and should have equal opportunities. But do we live up to those myths as a country? Whenever the CIA knocks over another democracy, When we ally with totalitarian governments like Saudi Arabia and enable them to torture their citizens? When our own citizens get treated unfairly and abused by the system?
But something that is important to me is that these symbols have their own meaning for people. What "country" means can mean something totally different to me than it does to you. To me, the flag is a representation to the hard work of Americans past and present. A representation to the mythology of the US. That we support democracy. We support the downtrodden and the weak. That every person is equal and should have equal opportunities. But do we live up to those myths as a country? Whenever the CIA knocks over another democracy, When we ally with totalitarian governments like Saudi Arabia and enable them to torture their citizens? When our own citizens get treated unfairly and abused by the system?
But if I am unhappy about these issues, why do I still stand for the flag? Because for me, the flag doesn't represent our government, it represents you and I. Personally, I think those ideals were very separate not too long ago. When we talked about the flag and the US it didn't represent the government or politicians. It represented us as citizens. Our ideals, our visions, our beliefs. I believe that during the Cold War the government did it's best to tie itself to the flag, to use it as a shield. Any complaints about the government means you are complaining about America and thus you are a traitor. That didn't just end with the Cold War. Who remembers just after 9/11 and anyone calling out Bush Jr. for being the crap we all know he is now were called unAmerican or traitors? "If you don't respect the man at least respect the position".
That's why even though I am not ignorant to the many issues plaguing the US, I still will rise for the flag and salute it. I am proud of Americans, not of our government for the most part. I do believe we have lost a lot of control of our government, and we need to correct that. But giving them the flag isn't my way to fix it. That flag is ours, not theirs.
So does that mean I hate Kaepernick for not standing? No. His idea of what the flag represents can be different from mine. He could have bought into that Cold War rhetoric that government = America, and his opinion is just as valid as mine. While I disagree with him singling out the flag rather than directing his protest more accurately, I do respect any man for taking a strong stand like that. Even if it isn't something I totally agree with, our country was born from strong Americans making difficult and controversial stands. Often to quite a bit of disagreement from other Americans. They estimate that 20% of Americans were loyalists during our revolution. Another large percentage didn't want Britain, but weren't willing to fight a war over it. Where would we be without those Americans who made a stand?
Beyond Kaepernick, I see the battleground over our schools and the Pledge of Allegiance. Again, I intend to talk to my kids about what my idea is of the symbols of America. I hope they will stand for the pledge as I did as a child, and as I do now as an adult. But if any school tries to force it, or harass the children that don't stand, I would be furious. What good is it to recite some empty words to a piece of cloth if when we are tested, we are so excited about taking away rights from other Americans? Save your breath, it means nothing.
So does that mean I hate Kaepernick for not standing? No. His idea of what the flag represents can be different from mine. He could have bought into that Cold War rhetoric that government = America, and his opinion is just as valid as mine. While I disagree with him singling out the flag rather than directing his protest more accurately, I do respect any man for taking a strong stand like that. Even if it isn't something I totally agree with, our country was born from strong Americans making difficult and controversial stands. Often to quite a bit of disagreement from other Americans. They estimate that 20% of Americans were loyalists during our revolution. Another large percentage didn't want Britain, but weren't willing to fight a war over it. Where would we be without those Americans who made a stand?
Beyond Kaepernick, I see the battleground over our schools and the Pledge of Allegiance. Again, I intend to talk to my kids about what my idea is of the symbols of America. I hope they will stand for the pledge as I did as a child, and as I do now as an adult. But if any school tries to force it, or harass the children that don't stand, I would be furious. What good is it to recite some empty words to a piece of cloth if when we are tested, we are so excited about taking away rights from other Americans? Save your breath, it means nothing.
Us Americans have gotten too divided. We're getting too involved with how other Americans decide to live their lives. Our business should not be to make cookie cutters out of everyone, but defend their rights to live as they want to, and hopefully they'll defend our rights to live as we want to.
