Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those are items to which all Americans possess the rights. Safety, unity, and prosperity. Those are items which America as a whole strives to achieve, regardless of how individual people believe we should go about achieving them. These values, these fundamental beliefs and rights, are the foundation upon which our country was built. They have been relevant since the dawn of the United States and remain relevant today. When we put aside current issues and debates, political figures, short term party goals or rivalries, and even political parties altogether, we are left with these rudimentary principles. In fact, in some cases the two parties agree on nothing else other than those principles, which all aspire to leading our country to peace and prosperity, to success and safety, and to unity amidst diversity. Everyone wants “what’s best” for our country, but they simply disagree on what that means or how to get there.

Unfortunately, this common thread is often lost in the dividing nature of politics, and the general population tends to focus on uncompromisable differences rather than uniting similarities. People get so caught up in the emotionally-charged aspect of today’s political climate that they forget to take a step back and observe the big picture. They simply cannot wrap their heads around the idea that someone could disagree with a belief they hold so dearly or find to be common sense. We’ve become quick to judge and opposed to compromise.

Of course, the worst of this tendency has developed fairly recently, but some amount of political division has always existed. Because of this, we have symbols, emblems of national unity meant to bring citizens together in times of difficulty and in times of prosperity to remind everyone of the similarities that unite us and of the values that keep our country strong. These symbols, our flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem, the Statue of Liberty, etc., unite the citizens of the United States as powerful reminders of hope and pride.

Personally, when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or singing along to our national anthem, I always feel an overwhelming sense of pride toward my country and community, as I am reminded of all the limitless opportunities and liberties granted to me because of the country in which I live. Needless to say, I am a strong proponent of such unifying devices as the pledge and the anthem because I believe that they promote gratitude and provide a broader, healthier perspective on our nation and all it provides for us.

Because I so passionately believe in the importance of the unifying powers of our nation’s symbols, it greatly disheartens me to see people who benefit from the privileges of this country disrespecting them. Most recently and topically, this disrespect is evident in the football players in our NFL kneeling during the national anthem. It is a simple request, really, to ask people to stand for a few short minutes in honor of the country that provides their very livelihood. Instead, these football players are disrespecting America when they themselves are supposed to be representing our country as our National Football League. Instead of showing pride and gratitude, they are expressing contempt, using their fame to spread negative messages.

Of course, I understand the motives behind the players’ attempted “protest.” In their minds, they are making a statement against current issues, or trying to take a stand against the current administration. However, they are going about this goal all wrong. Protesting and disrespecting our National Anthem or flag disrespects those core values mentioned earlier upon which our nation was founded. Our symbols, our anthem, represent all the things that unite us; they represent the ever-standing hope for total peace, prosperity, health, happiness, and unity. Protesting those symbols rejects every one of those values, the only things that keep our country together during times of such high tension.

Conversely, if these players wish to protest the current administration, that is, of course, always acceptable and even sometimes encouraged. They simply need to do it correctly and make their goals clear. Protesting our symbols disrespects our nation and its values, but protesting the government/administration simply expresses your opinion and can spark positive change. It does not scoff in the face of our nation’s core beliefs because each president and branch of government stands for specific political opinions which are (quite obviously) impetuses for controversy within our country and are not so black-and-white as wanting peace and prosperity. Therefore, if people have criticisms of America’s government or president, they should protest to their hearts’ content, but should do so properly and respectfully. This means directing their protests not at our anthem or flag, but at the things they are actually trying to protest, whether it’s the president, a current issue, a law, the government, or anything else with which they happen to disagree. There are plenty of ways citizens may utilize their right to peacefully protest that don’t disrespect our nation’s fundamental values.

In essence, it all can be summed up in the old saying, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” These players are famous multi-millionaires with envied careers that they excel at, all thanks to a country that makes that possible for them. If it isn’t the country itself that they have a problem with, then it isn’t the country they should be protesting. It’s like running after the guy without the ball. What’s the point?