In case you missed it, this past weekend has been huge in the development of the controversy surrounding "disrespect" of the national anthem, namely by professional football players who knelt or linked arms instead of standing and saluting the flag for the national anthem.
In the midst of the frenzy surrounding this situation, many people are claiming that sitting out the anthem is the worst possible thing a person could do. Let's take a look at some current situations that are far, far worse than not standing for a song, and the reasons certain people aren't necessarily proud of this country.
If we're going to claim that America is great, then it's time to fix these things, to prove it, and to make this the kind of country where everyone wants to stand for the national anthem — and where no one is forced to.
1. More than 20% of American children live in poverty.
Without enough money to put food on the table and clothes on their backs, many children in poverty are unable to perform at the levels they are capable of.
2. Some studies project that one in four college-aged women will be victims of attempted or executed sexual assault or harassment.
Rape is an epidemic that is quickly becoming a statistically expected norm on college campuses as freshmen women start school armed with rape whistles and safety apps and are taught to always look out for their friends at parties.
3. The entire island of Puerto Rico is still without power.
And it could take months to fix the damage that's been done to completely restore power to the entire nation.
4. Innocent black people are still being shot by the police.
The original reason Kaepernick started sitting out the national anthem was in protest of racial profiling by law enforcement. However, even now, every few days, we hear of another situation in which an innocent black person is shot by the police and the officer isn't charged. Racism lives on.
5. The teen suicide rate is on the rise.
The suicide rate among teenage girls is at the highest it's been in the last 40 years. It's even higher for teenage boys.
6. There is no state where you can support a family if you make minimum wage.
The minimum wage falls short of a living wage in every single state. Every. Single. One.
7. Dozens of football players have been diagnosed with post-mortem traumatic brain injuries.
The brains of over 100 former NFL players have been studied and found to have an extremely damaging condition known as CTE.
8. The rate of hate crimes has been on the rise.
Muslims are the most targeted group for hate crimes, especially by white supremacists since the election this past November.
9. There have been hundreds of mass shootings just this year.
Yes, literally hundreds.
10. We are all just people.
At the end of the day, before race and religion and politics divide us, we are all simply humans. It is important that we unite for what's right, advocate for one another, and learn how to love again.
