Finding Unity in the U.S.

I’m beginning to doubt that we Americans are as divided as many would have us believe.  It took the comment of a student the other day to get me thinking about our shared values.  We were talking about the NFL and the national anthem when the student said that he is in love with our Constitution.  I thought, don’t we all value our Constitution?  And isn’t it that Constitution that guarantees us the right to protest?  We grew up saluting the flag with our hand across our hearts as we utter the final words, “with liberty and justice for all”.  But I think too many of us have forgotten the actual values expressed in our defining documents.  The key words that are at the root of what it means to be an American are “freedom”, “liberty” and “justice for all”.  These words are what Americans fought for and continue to fight for.  With regards to the NFL, let’s remember that the First Amendment of our Constitution guarantees each of us the right to freedom of speech.  It doesn’t guarantee a freedom from consequences (as Colin Kaepernick can attest to).  So, why do 59% of white Americans and almost 90% of Republicans think the NFL is wrong to support its players right to express their protest during the national anthem?

I think the problem is that too many Americans are  allowing their emotions, misconceptions, and ignorance (lack of actual knowledge) to get in the way of supporting the freedoms of others. I believe these Americans value freedom, and when pressed they will say that they value it for all.  But too many are not acting on this value.  I believe that part of the problem is that some Americans do not realize that not every American has gained complete freedom, liberty, or justice.  They don’t know because they don’t live the oppression and they aren’t in enough conversations with those who do.  It is because they are not routinely stopped by the police because of the color of their skin, that they doubt police brutality is a problem.  The idea that having brown skin means paying more for a car seems implausible to them.  The idea of serving a stiffer prison sentence because of skin color is unknown to many.   If they understood these realities, I believe many of them would applaud Colin Kaepernick for trying to raise awareness of the injustice black men face everyday.  Keaepernick must have believed that if people were aware of what was happening, they would work to stop the injustice because our anthem says that we are the land of the free.  He was himself brave to try to raise awareness about this important injustice.  I hope the message doesn’t get lost in the freedom of speech debate because of this race-bating president.

We need to be reminded that the flag stands for freedom and that the final words of our national anthem claim that we are “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” But as Americans, I hope we can all agree that we have a responsibility to continue to push to preserve and achieve our freedoms, our liberties, and justice for all.  I am thankful to our servicemen and servicewomen, including my veteran husband and brother, who put their lives on the line in defense of these very freedoms.  I am grateful to everyday Americans who march, who write letters and columns, and who take a knee in public venues during the national anthem.

But sometimes, when many Americans do recognize injustice, their lack of knowledge and prejudices get in the way of helping to change it. The idea that gender might not be as simple as male and female is not only foreign, but scary to some.  And the fact that love is love and commitment is commitment and can happen between individuals of the same sex offends the religious sensibilities of some.  But as patriotic Americans, allowing fears, personal prejudices,  and religious beliefs to get in the way of liberty and justice for all is wrong and has to be challenged by everyone who truly loves the Constitution, the Pledge of Alliance, the flag, and the national anthem.

These documents are aspirational.  Less we forget that it took a civil war to “free” the slaves.  It took women burning their bras in public to fight for the right to vote.  It took the civil rights movements to achieve legal desegregation and the right to vote.  It took the Gay rights movement to achieve marriage equality.  And perhaps today, it will take NFL players taking a knee to finally gain justice in dealing with police.