The Star-Spangled Banner

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all” ("Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America | Britannica.com," n.d.) Citizens across this great land know the pledge of allegiance by heart and show their patriotism for this country in many different ways. Throughout this country many men and women choose to join the military run for political office…

The American flag other known as Old Glory or the symbol of America freedom that some love and other take for granite. It is in every school, government building, or outside of local businesses or everywhere you look. The have songs about it, pictures of it, and every k through 12 grade says the pledge before school starts. For some people the flag to them is something to hate or the symbol of evil. It has been cut, burned, and step on all over the world but it has even been hated on by people…

There are many different instances that we can look at, to see where sports have been a catalyst in social and political change. The first instance that I have noticed in the sport world is the recent actions of NFL player, Colin Kaepernick. Colin Kaepernick expressed his opinions on how African Americans were being treated in the United States, through kneeling during the National Anthem at one of his games. This sparked both a social and political change across America. Athletes both African…

What object or image most symbolizes America in the eyes of most people? The Statue of Liberty? The bald eagle? Fireworks on the fourth of the July? The Dallas Cowboys? Different images serve to conjure up different feelings in different people. For some people, particularly those in Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell comes to mind when they think of America and freedom. The Liberty Bell stands strong as one of the most important American symbols of our time. She faithfully stood by in 1776 at the…

Last NFL season Colin Kaepernick decided to protest racial injustice by taking a knee during the national anthem before his games. This local movement quickly sparked discussion within conservative media who quickly pounced on the story, “ignoring Kaepernick’s stated intentions and instead accused him of being unpatriotic and disrespectful of the American flag” (citation). However, this wasn’t what brought Kaepernick to news headlines. The controversy exploded when President Donald Trump…

The American flag has various definitions it just depends on seeing it from someone else’s point of view. While to some it means justice, to others this flag means pride, but to me our flag defines freedom, hope, and much more. So many years ago Americans fought for what they believed was right. They fought for their freedom, for their rights, for everything that we’ve come to know of today. Our flag represents the independence that was established on July 4, 1776, this was when the…

Throughout history, there has been conflict in humanity. In America, our constitution protects the citizens' rights to free speech and to protest; however, sometimes those rights become oppressed. A perfect example of this oppression that happens today are the NFL athletes who kneel during the national anthem. These men who are expressing civil disobedience, not causing any harm, violence, or rioting, are receiving harsh remarks and the wrath of viewers who disagree with their protest. While…

To kneel or not to kneel during the National Anthem? This has escalated to become a nationally expressed issue. Such a small simple question, yet can cause such commotion. It takes indisputable effort to make things right, sometimes it takes a strong, and consequential stand. But that does not just happen overnight. The NFL players did not take a knee and protest against Trump, they were doing it because of the issue of racism and police brutality. It has never been about Trump, it is not a job…

Article of the Week: Week Three In the “land of the free”, are you free to sit out the national anthem? The author, Jaweed Kaleem of the Los Angeles Times, starts by introducing us to the fact that Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, remained seated during the playing of the national anthem. She said that"He set the national debate about race on a collision course with the three pillars of American patriotism: football, the military, and the police." She states that she…

correct crowd really think that by removing the flag, history will somehow right itself, and slavery will no longer be a part of America's past? It happened. The Civil War happened. Not all soldiers who fought under the Stars and Bars were sadistic slave owners. In fact, during the war the percentage of slave owners was small in comparison to the Southern population as a whole. That might not exonerate…