Yes, folks, this whole NFL stir revolves around America’s Founding Principle. The part that says “…all men are created equal…” for the unequal justice part (please see most of my prior writings). And it also revolves around one of the most important words in this Founding Principle. Another part of this Principle forgotten about, a word you rarely hear. The word “unalienable”. This one word means, no one can take away these Rights. No one can take away your Right to Free Speech. It is unalienable. It doesn’t matter if anybody likes what is said. It doesn’t matter if anyone agrees with it or not. The President can’t take away this Right nor can some students at Berkeley. Our Freedom of Speech exposes us to the good, the bad, and the ugly. We are supposed to be exposed to everything. I get to decide what is good or bad by being exposed to it all. The Individual empowered, with this choice. New concepts can now be opened. These choices gone, without this unalienable Right to Free Speech.
You know, when you see that player kneeling, then it hits home, and often that’s what it takes to really think about it. Back in the 60’s and 70’s, here and abroad, to see the flag burning, I know that affected me more than any discussion of it could. And not hearing about it at all, well, I doubt the thought would have ever crossed my mind, the good or the bad. To not hear about this, to not see this, to not think about this, windows never opened. Ignorant. This would be a much worse fate than just simply being exposed to it. Whether I like it or not. Whether I agree with it or not. These players Right to Free Speech is unalienable. Our Right, my Right to choose, at the heart of it all.
This is what our flag is a symbol of. That flag stands for these Rights, unalienable. We demean that flag if we take away the Right to criticize it. We demean our Founding Principle when we choose our flag over it. This Founding Principle is what our glorious flag represents. What sense does it make to throw away our Principles to honor a flag which represents these Principles? It makes the flag more important than the Principle. The fight, more important than the Cause.
I have pride in my ancestors, pride in my kids and my life. But I have a pride in that flag, those stars and stripes that feels like nothing else. Seeing our American flag waving in the breeze fills me with a pride like no other pride I know. I am American. I know the blood, sweat and tears that have made this beloved country great. Those sacrifices, my ancestors among them, forever to be honored. But I, as an American, will not make the sacrifices greater than the Cause. The Cause is why this pride is like no other. The Cause of our country, the very first to proclaim, “…all men are created equal…” with Rights “unalienable”. This is my ultimate pride when I see that star spangled banner. This is the land of the Free. With each and every Individual free to speak their mind. Where no one. Not me, not you, not even the President can take that away. Our very Founding Principle says it is unalienable. This, the Cause this flag represents. The Cause itself the priority, greater than the symbol which represents it.
Free Speech, an unalienable Right. Our flag disgraced, if we take away this Right. Our flag is not what makes America great. Our Founding Principle is. The Cause, more important than the symbol. The Cause, our unalienable Rights. And no one can take them away. Not a person, not a song, not even our flag. *
*My legal team says to add “without due process” but I say “first things first”. Our foundation itself, is cracking.