During the quarantine of 2020, the warm pot of political unrest quickly turned to a boil. As the temperatures rose, people found ways to voice their concerns through their actions. Across the country, people chose to sit- or kneel- rather than stand for the National Anthem. Even now, students in my classes choose to stay seated as the Pledge of Allegiance comes over the intercom. The two greatest questions circle my mind each time I see such. What’s wrong with this country? More so, Why do we continue to stand for it?
As it is an election year, politics have crowded conversations and invaded our space for some time now. During this time, I cannot help but think about when people saw the flag as a disgrace rather than something to embrace- some people still following that mindset now. Shelley Jones, a Senior here at Brandon High, “feel[s] that [her] standing or sitting down doesn’t change the fact that [she’s] an American.” Another Senior stated, “Usually if I stand up, I’ll put my hand down for justice for all, because there’s not justice for all.”
The denial to stand for the National Anthem/Pledge of Allegiance isn’t exactly a new occurrence. In August of 2016, football players in the NFL kneeled during the National Anthem in protest of the racial inequality people of color were facing. Similarly, Jones feels the same. “Why would I [stand] here and look at a flag that doesn’t even represent me the way that I should be represented in this country, you know?” she asks. “Whenever we do protests, like the Black Lives Matter movement, and we try to get change through violent means, it never works out… So I feel that a way for me to show that I’m dissatisfied with the way the country is, that’s the way of showing defiance without being disrespectful.”
I choose to stand for the flag, as my family is filled with generations of veterans. I grew up with stories being told of the horrors they faced overseas. In my mind, there was no other choice but to stand proud for the people I loved and the people my loved ones lost. When I brought this up in our conversation, my friends pointed out a harsh reality of the current America we live in. “America does nothing for Veterans,” the anonymous Senior stated. “The majority of the homeless population in America is veterans,” Shelley added. “All of my family members have either served in the army or are currently serving in the army right now. It’s kind of a slap in the face, because we’re fighting for a country that doesn’t fight for us. I feel like it’s just sad.”
I started this article planning to write about the disrespect written across people’s decision to stay seated or kneel during the Pledge of Allegiance or National Anthem. After listening to my classmates’ point of view, however, I see the flaws within our government, country, and us citizens ourselves. Despite the flaws, there are many beautiful things gained through the freedom of America. One is the ability to discuss this so openly. Similar to my classmates’ statements, if we wish to see change in our country, we must make it known.
