Ever since I was a little girl, I have been told to stand up for what I believe in. That I have a right to voice my opinion, which I admit, I may have taken too literally in some instances. But no matter the case, I live in a free country; we live in a free country, and we have the right to freedom of expression.

So I ask, why is my Twitter constantly spammed with arguing politicians, celebrities and uneducated Americans trying to convince me that certain instances of freedom of expression are wrong, but police brutality is justifiable? Why does a peaceful protest of NFL football players receive more backlash than any number of our President’s questionable Tweets? But most importantly, why is this even an argument?

No matter the circumstance, we as American citizens have a right to peacefully protest for our morals and values if we feel they are not being respected. As stated in the First Amendment of The United States Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The very foundation of our nation was and is now based upon freedom and power of the people. Each individual citizen in our nation has the power of expression, and their ideas have a right to be shared, and they should be, especially for potential developments and advancements of our nation.

Personal expression is not only based upon morals and what is right and wrong, it is based upon voicing what you believe is right and offering to help fix the wrong.

As major social influencers, the protesting members of the NFL have a right to peacefully protest their beliefs, and I believe they should continue to do it. As an American citizen living in a country paralyzed with constant fear for the continuous murders of innocent people, police brutality and racism, by kneeling down before our nation’s flag, NFL players are not disrespecting our country, they are displaying the power of humility. They are not disrespecting our flag, they are silently speaking up for the corruption occurring in their country, our country.

They are not wrong, they are doing what they believe is right, and although some may disagree, there is no violence or hate, only an opportunity for change.