The Hate U Give

For the past few weeks, I've been reading a book called The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. It deals with a girl named Starr who fights against police brutality toward African-Americans after her friend is shot for no reason. Her reason for protesting is very similar to the reason behind the recent national anthem protests. I found it interesting that her way of protesting was very subtle compared to Colin Kaepernick who chose to sit during the national anthem, a very powerful symbol of American ideals and its' past. Starr protested by posting online who her friend really was. He was more than a drug dealer or gang banger, he was just a child. Her interpretation of liberty was similar to Kaepernick’s interpretation where both desired for a better America in which they could live without discrimination and prejudice. 

To me, these protests symbolize liberty and the founding of America. America was built upon the hope that they could create a better life for themselves and liberate themselves from those who have stripped them of their liberties and subjected them to oppression. With such desires comes the start of a revolution. Without protests and breaking society’s conventions, change is impossible. With Thomas’s Start and Kaepernick’s protests, both represent American ideals and patriotism. Their fight to create a better America reflects how truly American they are. 

The revolutionaries of America’s past such as George

Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others are no different from people like Kaepernick and Starr. Even then, there was opposition to such change as there is now. However, because no one gave up, America is what it is today. With support and encouragement, today’s activists and protesters can create much change and uphold America’s definition of liberty.