As a child, one of the first things learned either at home or school is the magical story of the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. A false picture is painted that when Christopher Columbus first sailed the ocean blue, the ‘Indians’ he met in the Americas were the ‘bad guys,’ but eventually became less savage and befriended Columbus and his men. When the pilgrims came soon after, the two groups unified during the first Thanksgiving, and everyone lived happily ever after.

However, with more years, comes more wisdom, and the more one begins to realize that the English were the true ‘bad guys.’ There was no happily ever after for the Natives. Native Americans were murdered, enslaved, harassed, and forced off their lands by colonists for centuries. In fact, within the first century that English colonists settled in Virginia, they managed to wipe out nearly 90% of the Native population in the Chesapeake region.

Although this issue seems to be something of the past, in recent news, a Native American student in California named Leilani Thomas lost points in class participation for not standing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance during her first period class. When she confronted her teacher about the situation, her teacher explained to her why she had lost those points, and told Leilani that she needed to show respect to the United States and the military by saluting the flag if she didn’t want to keep losing points. Leilani proceeded to bring the case and a recording of her teacher to higher ranked officials in her school system, and they immediately took action, rightfully defending the teen.

No teacher, or anyone, has the right to punish someone for exercising their right to freedom of speech, whether or not they concur with the opinion being stated. In penalizing Leilani for not standing during the Pledge, the teacher was the one who was disrespecting the flag and it’s symbolic meaning by not honoring the First Amendment stated in the United States Constitution that people have the right to “free exercise… [of] abridging the freedom of speech” (Amend. 1). Leilani made an extremely valid argument when explaining why she had not stood for the Pledge since the second grade. Due to her Native American heritage, she feels that it would be an insult to her ancestors who suffered tremendously at the hands of the English colonists who built the United States if she pledged her allegiance to America.

Perhaps before white Americans criticize and grow angry with the people in this country who exercise their right to freedom of speech by not saying the Pledge of Allegiance, they should reconsider their beliefs and remember their own ancestors’ actions in the past. White people have notoriously oppressed racial minorities from the first moment they set foot in the Americas. Unfortunately, most white people continue to this day to get away with it. It’s nauseating to see that in the twenty-first century, racism runs rampant throughout all of America. It is all too apparent that many do not seem to actually understand the Declaration of Independence when it states that “all men are created equal,” and that “all men have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

This is about more than just one girl. Many, especially as of late, have been inspired to stand against the Pledge in order to defend their brothers and sisters. One person in particular is Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the 49ers who kneeled during the National Anthem out of respect for the recent victims of police brutality and for the Black Lives Matter movement. Kaepernick has received fervent backlash on social media, where San Francisco fans have burned his jersey, trying to prevent him from exercising his right to free speech. Too many have stayed quiet on these pressing issues concerning the protection of one the basic human rights of an American, the freedom to speak one’s mind. Ultimately, those who are not openly repressive, but do not defend American people of color such as Leilani Thomas for exercising their right to freedom of speech are choosing the side of the oppressor by remaining silent.