Dear Editor,
It is my deepest concern that opinion is threatening to overshadow the truth. To begin, kneeling during the national anthem is not “boycott[ing] the national anthem.” Players across the NFL and at West Springfield high school are protesting during the national anthem. For my brave peers at West Springfield and to the brave NFL players who protested, I request an apology on their behalf for the false accusations that they had decided to “boycott the national anthem.” My brave peers respectfully knelt and faced the flag during the anthem. America is not rewarding those who stand. The President, the NFL, and many NFL fans are shunning Colin Kaepernick and many who protest. The act is not gaining anyone “popularity.” Kaepernick is proof that the protests are not self-promoting. Kaepernick was willing to risk his career to fight for what he believes. I accept that not everyone believes that this is an appropriate way to bring about change, but by calling it an act to gain “popularity and attention” we are taking the focus away from where I believe we both agree it should be. I kindly request that we do not add any more to the “heaps of political arguments” that have “buried” the real issue at hand.
Sincerely,
Elissa Perdue, WS student