Land of the Weak, Home of the Fazed

“I pledge allegiance to my consciousness of the highest part of my mind, one person, who stands alone, fighting the injustices of inequality-for women all over the world”.

When I come into my homeroom each morning, four things happen. I dump all of my books and backpack onto the floor, then I shun myself for not doing my homework from the night before. Thirdly, I moan out loud about how hot it is in a Chemistry lab room. The last thing I do is stare at my phone, as all twenty-five of my other classmates and teacher rise for the pledge of allegiance. I am usually the one of the only people sitting down. I`m not sure when I stopped getting up. Maybe it was around middle school, when I had begun to procrastinate more and study less. Or maybe it was after I heard Trayvon Martin got killed walking home from school one day. Who knows? Maybe those fifty stars don't remind me of the states, just the governments that refuse to give people the help that they deserve, on land that was stolen and water Americans can't seem to keep clean. Somehow, those stripes don't make me prideful, they just remind me of the bloodshed and disrespect people get when they are dragged from Africa in the helm of a ship and forced to work so that their babies can be sold to some cruel man that does not speak their language. Older people yell at me all the time for not standing for a piece of cloth that protects no one. As a Christian I am taught to fear none but God, but in real life, a person claiming that their evil actions or hateful comments are justified by a flag represent the true entities of fear. The flag is no longer a symbol of hope, it's a banner of ignorance, a streamer for selfishness and proof that no one can be completely free.-S.B. Lee