Karla's Kolumn

Sunday is the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Since then, 9/11 is also proclaimed Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance.

With the overwhelming patriotism that flooded our country that day and in the days after, came the phrase “Never Forget.” But what are we to remember from that day? Do we remember the grief and shock we fell as saw the World Trade Center Towers 1 and 2 fall? Yes, we should. Do we remember the anger we felt at the terrorists who carried out the cowardly attacks? Yes, we should.

Do we remember the gratitude and pride we felt in our emergency responders who responded quickly and without fear for their own lives, even though many lost their lives that day in trying to help others? Yes, we do remember that and we continue to thank them every time they are called out in harm’s way, doing their jobs, especially the volunteers here in Wyoming.

Do we remember the pride we felt in our country, in wanting America to stand tall? We don’t seem to be remembering that lately. Pride in our country brings us to the “Patriot Day” part of the proclamation. Proclaiming a day Patriot Day doesn’t make us all patriots. Calling for unity in a proclamation doesn’t make us unified.

A patriot is defined (by dictionary.com) as a person “who loves, supports and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.”

Recently, in the world of sports, there is a movement, especially in the NFL, for certain players to sit or kneel during the playing of our national anthem. It was started by Colin Kaepernick who said he would sit for the social and racial injustices in the country and for the oppressed people of color in our country, including those killed by law enforcement.

Obviously Kaepernick and others who have sat or knelt following his lead are not patriots by definition because they are saying they don’t love or support the country as it is right now.

I agree with those who say he has every right to voice his opinion and if he wants to voice his opinion by sitting during the national anthem, he absolutely has that right. He has that right because of the freedoms that we have in this country. He has that right because of the men and women of our military who have fought and died to ensure that the United States of America stays a free nation. He has that right because the Constitution proclaims that right for him.

I will support and defend his right to protest in his manner. I don’t agree with it. I’ve heard the story of how and why Francis Scott Key wrote the words he did that make up the “Star Spangled Banner.” It’s a moving story of our soldiers and how they made sure that flag still flew to give people hope.

But I also realize that the national anthem and the American flag (which makes me proud when I see it flying high) are just symbols of our nation.

I realize that our nation is not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. Our nation has a lot of issues that need to be addressed and need to be fixed.

But I am still proud to be an American. I am proud I live in a country where Kaepernick can sit or kneel during the playing of our national anthem and at the same I can stand proudly when that national anthem is played. Why? Because despite 9/11, despite terrorists hating us and trying to destroy us, despite our own flawed politicians caring more about corporate greed than what’s right for our country, despite all that, I still live in a country where I have the freedom to speak my opinion, the freedom to write what I want in this newspaper and the freedom to believe what I want.

I am a proud patriot because I am free.