Lexia Peters next author in 2016-2017 MLHS senior student editorial series
The Flag Means More
The playing of the National Anthem in the National Football League (NFL) has traditionally been a time of honor, but not it’s a time of tension as some NFL players protest the National Anthem and the flag. NFL players should not protest the flag, for the flag stands for our freedoms and the people who put their lives on the line for us. When the players protest the flag for their own reason, they are protesting all the flag stands for.
To start, protesting the flag for their own reason is not good enough and is disgraceful; they should feel ashamed. Learning what I did in History class of all of the struggles our ancestors had to go through to earn the flag we have today, we should respect them and what it represents.
According to USFlag.org, this is what the flag stands for. “The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America. White signifies purity and innocence; Red, hardiness and valor and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice,” and, “The American flag is a symbol of freedom, liberty and human rights,” says enterprizepub.com.
Their reason to protest is that they don’t want to show pride for a country that they feel oppresses people of color. They sit or take a knee during the playing of the National Anthem to protest against racial inequality in the United States,
Well, if one of the many rights the flag stands for is liberty, which is freedom from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior or political views, then why protest?
Also, these protests seem to be having a big effect, and not in a good way. As it has spread to younger ages in colleges and high schools, it has also affected other sports. “Thirty-six percent of whites, compared to 18% of blacks, said they were less likely to watch the NFL this year because of the protests. Twenty-nine percent of other minorities agreed,” according to King5.com. Overall, the viewing of NFL games has decreased due to the protests.
Finally, I interviewed Jerry Logue, a United States veteran, to see how he feels about these protests. Mr. Logue made a good point, saying, “One reason we go to fight is to give people the freedom to express themselves and their feelings, and that is what they are doing.” He told me that he is not offended by the NFL protest; however, the presence of the event gives him discomfort.
As I have made my point of why these protests are disrespectful in telling you what the flag stands for, I hope you see my point of view. If the flag stands for equality, why protest it? It is causing a rift in the country. Some people don’t even want to tune into NFL games due to the protests. I wonder when this will stop so we can stand together for the real meaning of the flag.