I recently participated in a facilitated discussion during my adaptive leadership class, and this was one of the images shown to get my class talking about what's going on in the world right now. This particular picture (shown below) made me grit my teeth, and yes, the guy on his cellphone during the National Anthem bothers me more than the three players in the background. One of my classmates suggested that, like many people, he could have been trying to capture this moment on snapchat, go live on Facebook or post a picture on Instagram to document the honor of holding the flag during a national football game. Note the word "honor." Holding the flag on the field was an honor and should have been treated as such.
Is nothing sacred anymore? Can we not uphold the sanctity of anything? When did it become an "OK thing" for children to be glued to their OWN iPad at the dinner table? When did it become socially acceptable to make a group of friends stay silent while you talk to your boyfriend on the phone for 30 minutes on the way home from a road trip? When did it become OK to be on your phone during the National Anthem while you are holding the American Flag?
Whether you agree or disagree with protesting during the National Anthem, I hope we can agree that the American Flag represents freedom, liberty and human rights. Three extremely important foundations of our country, and three things that should be respected.
The American Flag gives those three athletes the privilege to protest, however it should not make you think that you can disrespect it by not taking the one minute and thirty-two seconds to honor those who have fought and died to uphold that flag and uphold our freedom.
This is the digital age, and we have technology readily at our fingertips 99 percent of the time, but just because we always have it available does not mean that we have to use it 99 percent of the time. Put your phone away for 30 minutes, and enjoy a conversation over a meal. Stop snapchatting the concert and be in the moment. Stop texting in church. Don't give your 5 year old their own iPad, give them a football, a book, a card game or anything but an electronic device.
Put your phone in your pocket during the National Anthem. Imagine that you are that gentleman holding the flag. What would you do? How would you feel holding the flag in front of millions of people? Take that moment to remember the lives that have been sacrificed so that you can live the way you do today, and remember the people from other countries that still look to our flag as a sign of freedom and hope. Remember why you are proud to be an American because even though this country is in a state of turmoil right now, we are forever blessed and should be forever grateful to look to that flag and call the United States our home.
I may not enjoy discussing politics, but I will always respect my flag.
