Weekly Newsletter
March 8,2020 2021 November 16,
American Flag Creates Controversy Unfolding the symbolism of American ideals AJ Minnich, Editor-in-Chief Since Colin Kaepernick first knelt in protest of the American flag due to ongoing societal issues stemming from racism and inequality, the “Star Spangled Banner'' has become a hotly debated topic. On one side, there are liberals and Democrats voicing support to the protest, and on the other hand, there are conservatives and Republicans who vehemently oppose the protest. While both sides have valid points, they also have fundamental misunderstandings on what the flag means. Conservatives and Republicans vehemently oppose this notion often referring to people as disgraceful or un-American who kneel before the flag,
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and this is far from the truth. Many conservatives also state that “if you hate this country so much then you should leave,” but that in of itself makes little sense because most people who sit or kneel for the flag do not necessarily hate this country. Usually, they are unsatisfied with the current state of the nation. While it is fine to disagree with kneeling for the flag, it is far from un-American because in fact, protest is one of the most American things someone can do because it is deeply rooted in the nation’s history. The flag and national anthem are incredibly prolific symbols because they represent the entire United States of America, the most powerful country on earth.
So using forms of protest such as flag burning or kneeling during the national anthem are incredibly prolific, too. This country is deeply rooted in protest even back to before the Declaration of Independence, and it serves as a fundamental foundation for its posterity. Our nation was founded in protest, and it has evolved because of protest, so to now deem protesters as un-American completely misses the point. Now with that out of the way, many of the people who are kneeling for the flag have a fundamental misunderstanding of what the United States flag actually means. Our flag does not represent every action the U.S. takes. If that were the case, every country on earth would be solely defined by the atrocities that have been committed by every one of them. Instead, the U.S. flag represents an everlasting ideal that “all men are created equal,” the fundamental ideal that everyone no matter their race, gender, religion, or
sexuality has a chance for “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Yes, many times the U.S. has not lived up to those ideals, but despite that we still keep trying. From the civil war to the civil rights movement, history has shown that this purpose is nearly impossible to achieve. But despite that, even against insurmountable odds, every day we still strive to achieve this goal, and that is what makes it so unifying and inspiring. Now that may seem a bit nihilistic, but it is true. One of the biggest unifying forces in humanity is a collective struggle. So as most of America strives to create a more just and equal society that is of, by, and for the people, even if the struggle itself is impossible and utopian in nature, it builds a sense of camaraderie between every single American. The flag represents this collective struggle and camaraderie that has been built for hundreds of years, which is why it has remained such a poignant and unifying symbol.