An Open Letter To Those Who Are Pressing Kaepernick To Leave The Country
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An Open Letter To Those Who Are Pressing Kaepernick To Leave The Country

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." -Plato

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An Open Letter To Those Who Are Pressing Kaepernick To Leave The Country
New York Magazine

You live in a country and promote freedom, you promote acceptance... but there is one problem with your version of freedom and acceptance. You only offer a freedom and acceptance of those things that you deem worthy to be free or accepted. If you preach acceptance, that means you have to accept those who don't accept you. If you preach freedom, you ought to offer the same freedom to everyone.

I can make a distinction between two types of people in hopes of maybe understanding your plight.

TYPE X:

There are those who are dissatisfied with America and sit there without doing anything about it. If you do not agree with some principle upheld within an institution, and you do not initiate some sort of process that would potentially change said principle to be in agreement with your morals... Then yes, the logical solution would be to go somewhere else. Remove yourself from that position if you're not willing to help change the situation.

TYPE Y:

Then there are those who are dissatisfied with America who actively protest the principles and laws governing the people. These people believe in the power of change. They believe that the society they live in is not living in full potential. That there is a group of people that have been blinded to pragmatic problems that are affecting other groups of people and the veil should be lifted from their eyes in order to improve upon the progress of humanity-- that we shouldn't be satisfied with what we have in place, and instead improve and/or change what has been set in place in order to accommodate all peoples. And they believe these things so strongly that they are willing to protest and work to change the society.

So yes, implore those who do not agree with America's laws and principles to leave if they are not willing to work to change them. But for those who are willing to peacefully offer a protesting viewpoint in hopes of changing laws and principles, on what basis do you have the right to ask them to leave? If America is the "land of the free" then why is disagreement not included in this freedom?

I cannot deny the fact that America has done great things for many people, but at the same time, we can't afford to disregard the problems that lie in the shadow of its greatness. There are people hurting because of the laws and principles we have set in place. If every time someone comes up saying that they are hurting and your response is "well if you don't like it then why don't you leave" then how great of a country are we really. There has to be a better answer. A more mature answer. An answer that considers the value of human life. An answer that's willing to work through a mess instead of just sweeping it under the rug or throwing it out the window.


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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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