America. LAND OF THE FREE.

If you live in the states, odds are you have said the pledge of allegiance, sang the national anthem, and exercised your daily rights you are granted just from the mere title of being "an American." But, where do these rights come from? Why are we free to do what we want, when we want, and however we want to do it? Is it from our own successes? No. Is it from how much money we make, our social standing, or what our last name is? Definitely not.

So, where does it come from?

Land of the free.. BECAUSE of the BRAVE.

We get our freedom and our protection from the men and women who fight for us every single day. I'm not going to make this article object for discussion about the Colin Kaepernick argument mostly because I cannot personally identify with the oppression he has faced in his life, but I am going to say this: it was his right to make that choice and nothing he did was politically incorrect. He was taking a stand for something that, in this country, is a real problem. My only problem is that he fought a war on racism and discrimination by showing disrespect to the people who fight every day to protect his rights.

As much of an advocate that I am for exercising our freedom, I am still respectful of those who fought for me. I don't love our government and there are times where being an American can take its toll on my emotions, but I still respect our flag and our nation with my whole heart. So, instead of looking at politics as the face of American pride, look at our military. If you don't want to stand for the National Anthem, that's okay because it's your right as an American to make that choice for yourself. But, my advice to you is to only do things that you would be comfortable doing in front of someone whose family member died for your freedom. Someone whose mother, father, brother, or sister was killed fighting battles they should never have to face, for you and me and everyone who has the "right" to call themselves Americans. Sometimes, the National Anthem is a hard thing to sing when you have felt oppressed or wronged by the government, but instead of treating everything with an "it's my right" mindset, try having a "thank you for protecting me, my family, and all my rights" mindset.