Within the past year and a half, the act of kneeling during the national anthem at sporting events in protest of police brutality against African Americans and other minority groups has become one of the most significant subjects of political controversy in the United States. The first person to publicly kneel for the cause was Colin Kaepernick, who at the time was a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.

Kaepernick initially began kneeling in the summer of 2016, during the NFL preseason, and has now been a free agent for the past seven months. Many have argued that Kaepernick’s recent streak of unemployment is a result of his decision to protest, and that he is being blackballed by NFL owners because of his actions.  In his original statement about his decision, he said, “When there’s significant change and I feel like [the American] flag represents what it’s supposed to represent, [and that] this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.” To him, the flag and the national anthem represent liberty that was promised to all but only given to some.

Kneeling during the national anthem may be new and unorthodox, but it is a prime example of civilized protest. To some, kneeling is unpatriotic and disrespectful to the veterans who fought and died for this country, and to our country itself, but not all veterans and servicemen are against it. To the surprise of many, Kaepernick actually got the idea of kneeling from Nate Boyer, a former US Green Beret. “Soldiers take a knee in front of a fallen brother’s grave, you know, to show respect,” said the veteran, inspiring Kaepernick to remain respectful in his protests.

If Kaepernick chose kneeling during the national anthem with the specific intention of being respectful while voicing his opinion, why is he receiving so much backlash? The first amendment states that, “Congress shall make no law… prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Unfortunately, the fact that Kaepernick and others are simply exercising their constitutional rights is not enough to excuse them from the outrage of so many Americans.

Personally, I’m won’t feel disrespected if you kneel during the  national anthem, nor will I dislike you or feel hurt. That is your right and your decision to make, and I have no valid say in it. As a citizen of the United States, your constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression should be respected by our leaders and fellow citizens without any question.

Sadly, this isn’t always the case. Along with the large group of Americans who are against the harmless form of protest, President Trump has also spoken out against NFL players who have done so:

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a (expletive) off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s fired!’” Trump said to his supporters at a rally in Alabama. He was met with a loud response of cheers and clapping.

It is unfathomable to me that the “leader of the free world” can get on a stage in front of thousands of people, and imply that citizens should lose their jobs simply because they chose to exercise their rights. This type of thinking is extremely dangerous, and it puts our democratic values upon which our country was founded in danger.

The flag is not what our armed forces and servicemen put their lives on the line to protect, but rather, it is the ideals that the flag is meant to represent that are so important. Unfortunately, because these ideals are held in such stark contrast from what many of our nation’s leaders now stand for, that flag and the national anthem do not represent all people groups in our country. Because of this, many people  do not feel obligated to stand for it. When we, as a nation, finally accept that bigotry, xenophobia, sexism, and racism all exist and are prevalent in this country, and take steps to eradicate these poisonous ideologies, that will be the day that the flag truly represents us all.

We should also remember the roots of this protest and its original purpose. Recently, after President Trump made that explicit comment about NFL players who choose to kneel, the issue automatically began to revolve around him. People became concentrated on whatever Trump said or implied, and forgot that the original meaning of the kneeling was a method of combating police brutality, which is an issue that communities all over the country are struggling to deal with.

While innocent black people are being killed by those we have trusted to “protect and serve”, the majority of these perpetrators are never indicted, and often get off with no jail time. Our broken justice system has repeatedly failed to carry out actual justice in cases like these, and not enough is being done to fix it. Whether you choose to kneel or not, you must accept that police brutality is a growing problem in this country, and we cannot stand idly by and watch as our fellow citizens, neighbors, classmates, and friends, are being persecuted by a corrupt system that has let down minorities in our country for far too long. To inspire change in a country that has condoned, and even supported such treatment of our minorities for so long will require everyone to rally together to expel such deep seated corruption. However, because of a lack of apathy among so many Americans, it is evident that we must continue our efforts to break the spell of ignorance on such topics, which is why Colin Kaepernick’s bravery is so important in this struggle for awareness.