Respecting the national anthem

David Wilson
David Wilson

Plenty has already been written and said about San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand during the national anthem before a game. I won't add a lot to that except to say Kaepernick is a very talented athlete with good intentions, but one who has unfortunately been misguided by some of the disruptive winds blowing through the country.

To let you know where I stand on the issue, here is a story from my own past.

About 10 years ago, I was the principal at a high school in southeast Missouri. Before an athletic event, when the national anthem was playing, I saw two of our students in their seat in the bleachers. Everyone else in the gym was standing.

I broke protocol just a bit during the national anthem, diverting my eyes from the flag to the two students in question. I stood there, with my hand over my heart, staring at the students.

My hope was that they would get the message that the principal expected them to stand.

Once we made eye contact, they simply looked away.

After the national anthem I went over to the two students and asked them to come with me. I walked them to the front door of the gym and told them they had to leave. I said, "You're going to have to stand during the national anthem. It's a matter of respect."

They began to argue, claiming that it was their right to sit and that I had no right to make them leave.

I cut them off and said, "Look, I didn't say you have to like the country. I didn't say you had to put your hand over your heart. I didn't say you had to look at the flag. And I didn't say that you had to sing the national anthem. But at the very least you do have to stand during the national anthem, or you can't come to the games."

One of them said something about going to get his mom and also something about going to the school board.

I said, "That would be just fine. It sounds like I need to visit with your mom, and you also need to know that the school board won't be very pleased about your conduct."

The students then left and I never heard another word about it.

But I did think on the incident further and decided exactly where I, as the high school principal, would take a firm stand.

If I were ever pressed on the issue, I was prepared to contend that we should be teaching all of our students to show respect, and that includes respect for the flag, for the country, and to all of the guests in the building who hold those things dearly in their heart.

I was prepared to say that none of us in education are going to force a young man or a young lady to love America, but that we were going to insist that the proper decorum and respect be observed in every way.

On the issue of a professional athlete sitting out the national anthem, I suspect that we haven't heard the last of the matter. There are simply too many people in America today who don't really understand the first thing of what America is all about.

We owe it to the future to cultivate a healthy respect towards God, towards country, and towards fellow citizens.

If Kaepernick has concerns that are important to him, all he has to do is speak out. But to not stand during the national anthem because you don't like something -- that is much like going in to someone's home and taking a priceless family possession off the shelf and smashing it on the floor.

That will certainly get some attention, but it won't win many people over.

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David Wilson, EdD, of Springdale, is a writer, consultant and presenter, who grew up in Arkansas. E-ail him at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 09/14/2016