America needs level playing field

In his Sept. 28 letter “Kneelers disrespect every American”, Nelson French argued that football players who take a knee during the national anthem somehow disrespect all Americans. This brings to mind a lesson I learned a long time ago: Respect cannot simply be expected, or demanded; it must be earned.

How do “we the people” stack up against this premise? In our idealized view of America, we are the land of promise for all; the land of opportunity. Everyone has an equal right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We welcome the immigrant, the refugee from other lands, and we honor the diversity which makes us stronger. The reality is much different.

People of color for centuries have been denied a level playing field on which to achieve the American dream. Immigrants in every age have been scorned and attacked — until, grudgingly, they have been assimilated and their culture added to the larger American mix ( Italians, Irish, Chinese and Japanese have all experienced this discrimination). We still discriminate against the native people who were the first occupants of this land.

French said that “our internal moral compass tells us what is right.” I agree. My moral compass tells me that our country is still a work in progress, and that we have a long way to go to earn the respect that the American dream promises for all.

We might not like the reminder, but it’s a message we need to hear.

Tom Baillieul Columbus