Land of the free?
If Colin Kaepernick had raised a fist, I might question his purpose or motive. But he knelt; he dropped to one knee. Why do so many find his kneeling so very offensive, especially the president? I was reminded of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s shutting down Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the Senate floor.
“Get up, boy.”
“Shut up, woman.”
I wonder if these overreactions aren’t a sign that we know “the land of the free and the home of the brave” is under a dark cloud.
Do we not believe justice should be blind? If justice were not skewed toward the powerful, we would be trying to promote voting rights rather than restrict them.
Kaepernick’s loss of a job does not seem punishment enough to many. What does that say about the free and the brave? Courage is more needed than ever. I hope to see more of us on our knees asking for courage.
We must actively defend our freedoms and our fellow citizens who stick their necks out for those freedoms. You may not be African-American or a woman or a member of a “lesser group,” but it is in your interest as a citizen of democracy to engage in the struggle for fairness and decency.
Nancy Corbett
Dover
This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Land of the free?."