Let me start by saying I LOVE MY COUNTRY. I love the landscape. I love the oceans. I love our citizens, our soldiers, and law enforcement. What I do not love, is what has happened to divide us. Of course, it's been happening for years. Decades. I am only 21. When you're eight or nine, you don't notice black kids being looked at sideways. My very first friend I ever made was a guy by the name of Chris Linton. I met him when I was six. My grandfather always looked at him funny. I never understood why. As I grew older I started hearing ugly words being used about him because of his skin color. This made me sad. Someone I had literally built a fortress of sand with was being treated as less than me because he looked different? I always made fun of him for being super tall but never because of something as stupid as skin pigmentation.

Now let's fast forward. "Blacks are responsible for high crime rate." "Black unarmed man shot in 'accident' with police." Sounds familiar, doesn't it? When the black lives matter movement began I didn't completely understand it, so I said no all lives should matter. While they do, I often use this analogy. Let's say we are in an emergency room. I have a broken leg, but someone is bleeding out from a gunshot wound. Who should be treated first? If your answer was my leg, go back and start reading this from the beginning. I can't believe the outrage people have when I wear a t-shirt with something as harmless as a black person's life matters. Why is it so upsetting?

Now we get to the past few weeks. Mr. Colin Keapernick, this country was ready to send in a lynch mob over a man who doesn't believe that he should stand during the national anthem because he thinks too many black people are being oppressed in America. While I don't particularly agree or disagree with not standing during a song played 10 million times a year, I do agree with his message. He has the freedom of speech. Something we've all but taken back from the black community. Tom Cruise doesn't stand during the anthem he'd be regarded as a hero. Someone who's not white does it. Well. You saw. "He's disrespecting veterans." How? They fight so HE CAN SIT IF HE CHOOSES TO. It is not a personal attack on our freaking troops. That is such an ignorant way of perceiving freedom. You denying him the freedoms that were fought for, make you GUILTY OF SLAPPING THE SOLDIERS IN THE FACE. It's always about the freaking veterans with these people. If these veterans are so precious to you people, why are you not down at a soup kitchen serving the homeless ones? Why are you not donating to the wounded warriors? Why is it only convenient to be about your troops and freedom when it fits your agenda? Colin Keapernick is an AMERICAN. My long friend Chris is an American. They have freedom of speech and the same rights as you. So stop trying to pry them away every time they take one step forward. LET THEM STAND WITH US. With liberty, and justice for all.