Not sure if they were naive or brave, but the two cheerleaders at Pitt-Bradford who took a knee during the national anthem before a recent basketball game have certainly earned my respect.
Perhaps they didn’t realize the vehemence of the reaction, including calls for them to be removed from the cheerleading squad. The comments I have read about them on social media honestly make me ashamed to be a Bradfordian.
Fortunately, Pitt-Bradford’s administration apparently did what’s right — let the young women know they were safe to exercise their Constitutionally guaranteed right of free expression.
People outraged at these students’ supposed lack of patriotism ought to check out the First Amendment. The people who wrote our Constitution understood that the freedom to disagree with our government was crucial to a fully functioning democracy; that’s why they put it first.
“I don’t agree with a word you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.” Sound familiar, anyone?
Forced patriotism is a contradiction in terms. It’s the kind of “patriotism” practiced under dictatorships. When you MUST stand for your national anthem, well, that’s plain un-American.
So, young women, don’t be afraid. Be proud. What you have done is the purest form of democracy. There are many people in Bradford who support you.
My only wish is that Congressman Thompson — who has decided not to hold town hall meetings with “paid activists” who are angry at the situation unfolding in Washington, D.C. — would show half as much courage as these young women.
