It's pretty safe to say that at this point everyone knows about the issues we currently have going on in our country.

One of the biggest debates right now is about the NFL players that have been kneeling, and some not even coming out, for the singing of the national anthem. What I have to say isn't focused on just the national anthem debacle, but our country and its problems as a whole. The United States will slowly fall apart if we continue down our current path.

Our country is divided because we let it divide us.

My opinions and beliefs are just that, mine. They may differ from my best friend, a family member or even the guy I sit next to in class, but that doesn't mean it has to affect any of my relationships. The first amendment gives us freedom of speech, so you are just as entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.

However, the major issue isn't our differences of opinions with others. The issue is the large amount of us who are arguing on social media over whose opinion is more correct. Instead of arguing with friends and even complete strangers over social media, go out and do a good deed.

Donate money to a charity, volunteer in your community or something that will actually make a difference in the world, and then see where we end up. We can't continue to complain about our country and its problems if no one is willing to step up and actually doing something about it.

Now with that in mind, I know someone will say that's exactly what the NFL players are doing by kneeling for the national anthem.

Well yes, you're right, but I disagree with this action.

I disagree because, in my opinion, the national anthem is how we honor those who have served, are currently serving, and those who lost their lives while serving. This is how we acknowledge what these men and women did for their country.

So I disagree that these men in the NFL kneel because I feel that it is reflecting on those who serve more than it is reflecting on the movement for equality. I understand why they do what they do, but I don't think kneeling, or sitting in the locker room, during the singing of the national anthem is the way to bring attention to this issue.

Yes, they are peacefully protesting for what they believe in, but I also believe that kneeling for the national anthem is completely unrelated to the fight for equality that they seek. I recently read a letter that Taya Kyle, wife of the late Chris Kyle, wrote on the matter.

She says that in order to make the difference that you wish to see, you have to go out and do something about it, and she's right. Yes, they are peacefully making a statement and bringing awareness to the problems our country has, but I don't think that kneeling and disrespecting the troops will help the fight for equality.

Now, do you remember being in middle and high school when there was always that one student that got an attitude with the teacher? The student(s) who purposely disturbed class?

Well, do a few rebellious students automatically make the whole class bad? No. So why do we think this when it comes to race or ethnicity?

There's always going to be a few bad apples in the bunch, but there will also be some good apples too. You will always be able to find a bad student in a class, a corrupt cop in a police station or a racist person within another race, but that doesn't mean every other person is just like them.

I was raised to be respectful.

I was always taught in school to "treat others the way you want to be treated." With that being said, if you respect me, I will respect you, and that's all there is to it. Yes, you can always find someone who will still disrespect you, but that doesn't mean that we have to feed into their negativity. To this day, I am still told by my parents and teachers to "be the bigger person" and it's probably the best advice you could ever be given.

I know that our country has major issues and I know that they won't just go away, but I also know that starting fights on all social media platforms will continue to divide us even more. If we want to see change in our country, we have to come together. We have to stop fighting over things that we have no control over. We have to stop pointing our fingers at everyone around us. It doesn't matter who did what and why what matters is how we move forward.

We should all be celebrating the fact that we woke up this morning because some may not have been as lucky. Celebrate the fact that you are surrounded by people that love you. Celebrate that your loved ones made it home safely last night.

Celebrate that you didn't wake up this morning to a phone call that a loved one lost their life overseas or in a car accident. Celebrate that you are here today. There are so many things we have to be thankful for, but we take them all for granted until it's too late.

There's a quote from Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax" that I feel needs to be shared. "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Though it may be aimed at children, this book and this movie carry a strong message.

The boy in this story wanted to make a difference so he got up and did whatever it took to do so. If you're bothered by what's happening, don't sit back and just say you disagree. Stand up and make a difference in the world, and then you might just like where we end up. To sum up what Mahatma Gandhi said, "be the change you wish to see in the world."