I have been hearing a lot of controversy concerning players kneeling during the National Anthem. As I am a why person, I wanted to really dissect this thing. I wanted to know if it is wrong to kneel during this ceremony (for the lack of a better word), so I decided to do research on it.

Out of all the debates I’ve heard, I gathered that the main issue is the lack of respect for our flag. So I decided to examine the our Pledge of Allegiance to this flag, so I could get a better understanding of what this symbol really stands for and here’s what my research found:

I asked questions towards every definition, so that I could examine, both perspectives.

I pledge – This means a solemn promise or undertaking. So when I pledge to something, I am making a promise.

Allegiance – This means loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause.  So far I am making a promise to be loyal to a group cause.

 To the flag of the United States of America –So I am making a promise, to a group or cause using the flag I presume as a symbol of that cause. That group cause is the United States.

 United is not just a noun, it is also an adjective meaning “joined together politically for a common purpose, or by common feelings”. So my question is, what if we are not united? Do I still make a promise of loyalty to the group cause that claims to be united when they are not?

And to the republic, for which it stands, one nation under God – republic meaning “a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives”. We have the republic part, but what if we are a republic that is not “one nation under God”?

The word “One” brings up that united perspective once again, but aside from that, can a nation that defies everything about God be truly “under God?” Can a nation that wants to remove the 10 commandments from public visibility, or a nation that removes prayer out of schools and from sports events, and a nation that  considered taking “In God we trust” off of the currency be “one nation under God”?

So far we have, I promise to be loyal to a group or cause, being a country that is united, that has elected officials, that is also, one nation under God.

Indivisible – Indivisible means unable to be divided or separated. Are we truly a nation that is unable to be divided or separated?

With liberty– Liberty means the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views. Can we truly say that we have liberty? Can we be free of restrictions imposed by authority regarding the way a person chooses to live or their political view?

And Justice for all – Simply put, it means just behavior or treatment. The quality of being fair and reasonable. – America, can we truly say there is justice in this country by its definition? Are we fair to all races, all social classes, or a person’s financial status? And by fair I mean, can two different people be treated exactly the same surrounding the same circumstances? Can they get the same opportunity as it arises? Can these two different people even expect the same punishment for the same or similar crime?

In summary:

So in summary, I have as a pledge:  I promise to be loyal to a group or cause, being a country that is united, that has elected officials as supreme power, that is one nation under God, that is unable to be divided or separated, that is free of restrictions imposed by authority regarding the way a person chooses to live or regarding their political view, and that promises fair or reasonable treatment to the members of it.

Should this be a pledge that we should make, based on it’s content?

These questions were posed to make you think. If I pledge allegiance to something, shouldn’t I agree that it is true or at the very least something I am trying to live by?

Regarding the issue of kneeling as a protest: I don’t think by definition that it has nothing to do with the soldiers. The pledge of allegiance has more to do with a promise to a symbol (the flag) that is supposed to stand for the great qualities that this country is supposed to have.

Although I stand during the National Anthem to avoid controversy, I don’t see anything wrong with a person that chooses to kneel in protest. I believe that if you feel that you are lying when you pledge your allegiance to something, then you shouldn’t do it. It is no different than refusing to recite a mission statement or promise that you feel has no truth to it.

I come from a family of soldiers and my respect is given to them directly not a symbol. To sum it up, I would just like to say, before you condemn somebody for not doing what the majority does, maybe you should step back and make sure that what the majority is doing is really on the side of right instead of being on the side of what’s politically correct.