Ever since Colin Kaepernick first took a seat during the national anthem, back at the beginning of football season, personal patriotism has been an issue at the forefront of national debate stages and conversations. Independent of Kaepernick's inept attempt at politics- with the national anthem and other dead dictators- there were some real questions that needed to be dealt with. Is it right to force people to stand for something they don't believe in? is it really disrespecting anyone?

New comments from Trump have brought a new debate to the stage after the President-Elect stated he would imprison people who burned flags. New divisions have arisen and new comparisons to fascism are running through the media. So the questions today are: should people be able to burn flags and is it right?

To be entirely honest, I cannot dictate what is or isn't protected by the constitution. It's not my place. The power that does have that ability has already made it's decision. In the Supreme Court Case, Texas V Johnson, the court ruled that flag burning is protected under the first amendment. This means that it is a form of free speech and that people are within their rights to burn a Stars and Stripes for whatever cause or purpose they choose. You have the right, even if I don't agree with the use of it. Sounds a bit like another commonly discussed Constitutionally protected right but whenever I ask that people respectfully disagree with me on that one, I get an angry fist and descriptors of dead children at schools. In any case, Trump will not be able to imprison anyone for burning a flag. He may be President, but the same geniuses that invented the electoral college also remembered to create checks and balances.

The other question I said mattered here was, is it right? Is it right for someone to burn an American flag? Is it right for someone to burn the item that some families receive in place of the bodies of their children, who didn't come home from the ultimate sacrifice? Is it right to ascribe certain values of oppression and slavery to the flag and ignore the other values of freedom and liberty associated with it? Is it right to burn a flag, that for millions, represents a country they came to in search of a new home?

Thoreau said I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will fight for your right to say it. This is how I try to look at flag burning. While it personally makes my stomach turn to think that anyone could hate this country so much that they would a flag- keeping in mind that ISIS and the Taliban thoroughly enjoy promoting videos of their agents doing that very act- I understand that it's your right to do that.

I think the heart of issues like taking a knee during the anthem or burning a flag boils does boil down to patriotism. If you love this country and appreciate it for its good and work to fight the bad, you won't take a knee or create red, white, and blue ashes. You'll celebrate the 4th of July and lobby your Congressmen to do their jobs. You'll root for your country in the Olympics and volunteer to help your communities. You'll understand that we've come a long way but that there's a long way left to go. I, for one, plan to stick around to help. So, in honor of loving the United States,

Good Luck, America.