Standing for the Flag Essay Sample

Could you imagine risking your life for others' freedom only to find out that they don’t appreciate what you did? How would it make you feel to see hundreds of people kneeling in front of the flag you worked so hard to help represent the idea of liberty in this country? When someone does not stand up for the flag, it makes our veterans feel disrespected and irrelevant. While kneeling is a legal form of peaceful protest and our First Amendment right, we should not kneel or sit during the pledge of allegiance because it is disrespectful to those who gave their lives so we could have the freedom we have today. We stand for the flag to focus on what unites us rather than on what separates us. 

Although many people consider kneeling or sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem to be disrespectful, some believe there are valid reasons to not stand for the flag. Those who refuse to stand for the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem feel as though our country is full of lies, and our history demonstrates why.  For example, from Quynn Lubs’s article “Why I Sit During the Pledge of Allegiance '' from The Paw Print website, she asks: 

The history of our country is one filled with  genocide, chaos, and inequality, and stating 

the pledge as though it is the truth is simply absurd. So how can I be expected to stand during the pledge? Nothing it states is true. I  don’t want to prove my loyalty to a country that would turn its back on any struggling  member of society if it meant that the rich could get richer.  (par. 13)

Lubs claims that she does not need to stand for the flag because our history is littered with everything but liberty and justice. Lubs is implying that if she supports the flag, she is endorsing the lies that have been made about our country for years. Many others, however, disagree with this remark and believe that standing during the National Anthem is a display of honor and respect that should be respected. 

When people refuse to stand for the flag, it divides and enrages many of those who believe that standing for the flag is mandatory. It divides not just our citizens, but also the participants in our favorite sports as well as those who watch and support them. For example, in the article “Kneeling During the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons” from the ProCon website, it was stated that, “Kaepernick and others who have refused to stand for the national anthem have caused division amongst their teams and their fans across the country. Santa Clara police union hinted they would boycott providing security at games after Kaepernick revealed his reasons for protesting the national anthem and wore socks depicting pigs in police uniforms” (Kneeling par. 8). Even in our most favorite sporting events, those who do not stand for the flag can spark tension across the country, according to this quote. These acts force people to act out of character and tend to split previously cohesive groups of people. We support the flag, however, not to please ourselves, but to honor those who have given us freedom. 

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and points of view, but when it comes to honoring those who fought for our freedom, we should all stand in support of the flag. When we stand for the flag, we put our disagreements aside to remember those who have died in battle or family members who have lost a loved one who has served for our country. In Jane Hampton Cook’s article, “5 Reasons We Stand for the Flag” from The Hill website, it is stated that, “We stand for the flag today, not to please ourselves but to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom” (par. 5). In this quote, Cook is expressing that when we stand for the flag, we are commemorating those who gave their lives so we could enjoy the freedom we have today. Cook is implying that we should stop focusing so much on ourselves and recognize how hard people have worked to ensure our freedom in this country. We need to understand that we are able to live the lives we desire thanks to our military branches. We must honor this by putting our differences aside and put our full support into the flag. We are not honoring our troops the way they deserve to be honored when we do not stand for the flag. 

In conclusion, we have the right under the First Amendment to choose whether or not to stand and respect the flag. When we refuse to stand for our flag, however, we are demonstrating disrespect and incivility toward those who have been hurt or killed while fighting for our freedom. We have more reasons to strive for a better future as each person stands for the flag. As a result, we must all come together as one and pay tribute to those who have given their lives in exchange for the life we have now. Now it’s up to you to make a decision.