It was routine for the Red Raiders football team to carry the American flag with them to all their games. Mecahicville High School instilled a sense of patriotism in young kids which seems to have been lost on our generation these days. It just so happened that the home team from Catholic High School didn't have their own American flag and the national anthem would have gone without having performed their patriotic duties to the country.
David Hayner, a lineman from the Red Raiders believed that not performing the ritual with the American flag was something highly disrespectful. The high schooler then proceeded to carry his own flag to honor the national anthem and stood at the end of the line.
As everyone saw what the young boy sought to accomplish, they all directed him to stand at the middle of the field. "So I went out in the middle of the field and stood there." Explains Hayner who's timely decision helped foster feelings of patriotism in the youth.
The Catholic Central High School did not have a flag at the time because they had some work done on their press box and forgot to hang the American flag back up. For the first time ever the national anthem would have played without the presence of an American flag.
"The school did not have a flag prepared in a timely manner." Says the principal, "As principal I take full responsibility for this and we apologize for any offense caused." Instead of making excuses, the principal owns up to his mistake and apologizes, setting the right precedence for kids.
"It was a spontaneous action from a boy who cares about his country." Says the athletic director of the Red Raiders. Hayner came from a small community in a small town where feelings of patriotism are still cultivated in young children.
America wasn't established without making sacrifices. And they have entire history books dedicated to how people have laid down their lives in the line of duty - just so the younger generation could live in freedom. Their sacrifice is symbolized by the flag.
While no one is asking you to become borderline fanatic about your country and start angry debates on online forums about which country is the better one, you are expected to honor your homeland in a respectable manner.
While most nations of the world criminalize the act of disrespecting their country's flag, America has allowed unruly gangs of rebels to do as they please with the American flag. And they end up making a mockery of the flag.
Disrespecting the American flag is something which the current POTUS, Donald Trump believes is highly disgraceful and should not be used as a means of getting your point across in protests, as some individuals are known to do.
At a time when feelings of patriotism are at an all time low, and when the American flag is being subjected to brutality, Hayner's timely save is like a breath of fresh air, giving everyone hope that maybe all is not lost.
The United States as it stands, has many enemies, some inside its borders, others outside. And they're all constantly planning to compromise its security. Sabotaging their plans is a full time job, one that requires sacrifice which only few can make.
So when you disrespect your own country's flag, you're disrespecting the sacrifice those brave young men gave so you could sleep easy at night. No, it's not cool to disfigure and deface the flag, you come across as a deranged person.
Everyone seems to be taking their safety and freedom for granted without giving anything back to the country. To make things worse, they go the extra mile to mock their own nation. But they fail to realize that it is this very freedom which is allowing them to 'express' their onions.
Some celebrities are also taking the onus upon themselves to educate the youth about the importance of respect. One of those celebrities is Lady Gaga who went to the stage and performed a song specifically for the country, this was in Feb 7, 2016. And no, she did not strip in her undies or do something weird.
Globalization is a good thing, but when it starts to blur the line between borders and countries, people begin to lose appreciation for their homeland. The United States is allowing her citizens to bask in absolute freedom, it is high time people gave her something back in return, even if it is just a bit of respect.
