This is what I wished happened before the BV vs. St. Thomas Aquinas football game on Oct. 15:
Tiger fans filled the student section.
The announcer introduced the choir singers down on the field to begin the national anthem.
All students ended their pre-game conversations and placed their right hand over their heart, showing respect for the American flag and their fellow students singing.
This is what actually happened before the BV vs. St. Thomas Aquinas game:
The noise level coming from the student section decreased slightly after the announcer spoke.
Many students half-heartedly placed their right hand over the heart and refused to end their obviously important conversations.
It was almost as if nothing happened.
For those who were trying to show proper respect, it was hard to do so. The choir’s singing was almost completely drowned out by the voices of fans.
It wasn’t until Athletic Director Bob Whitehead turned around to give the students a rather angry glare (about halfway through) that the chatting died down.
Hold on just a second.
Could it possibly be that hard to stand in respect for maybe two minutes prior to the start of a football game?
We’re all capable of being quiet and respectful — we do it every day in school for hours on end.
What was so hard about those two minutes?
Nothing.
I’m not trying to say that students here aren’t respectful. This was just one instance that reflects poorly on our student body out of so many that are great. But after anywhere between 14 and 18 years of life, everyone should know the right way to salute the flag during the National Anthem.
By now, it’s just something I do.
As a 17-year-old senior, I’ve sat through enough United States history lessons to know the sacrifices made by so many men and women to keep our nation safe.
I see the flag as a symbol for our country’s strength — and all the lives lost along the way to allow us to be where we are today.
It just makes sense that we, the beneficiaries of countless sacrifices, can stand quietly to show respect for those who gave their lives for us to live freely.
Standing at attention is something we should take very seriously.
Over the summer, I attended Girls’ State, a weeklong program to inspire girls to get involved in government later in life.
While there, I met so many girls with family members serving in the military. One girl I met eventually became Girls’ State Governor. In her inaugural address, she told us about her father serving for a year in Kuwait and how hard it was to say goodbye for so long.
The next day, she and I talked about how many times her family had to move because her dad was stationed somewhere else around the country.
Imagine not seeing your dad, mom, brother or sister for a year or more.
Think about moving again after finally making a new best friend and getting settled in to a new home.
When it comes time to stand in respect for the flag, it’s important that we do so.
We need to take the time to think about how great the nation we live in is and how lucky we are.
