From the Sept. 30, 2017 Chicago Tribune:

Fred Brostoff wrote:

Rise, Rise For Evanston

"ETHS Football Players Kneel During National Anthem"

“Rise, Rise For Evanston,” we sang, when we

Were there and at each anniversary.

And sang the fight song when the team would score,

But when we left in Nineteen Sixty-Four,

There was this thing called the Viet Nam War.

And there was Civil Rights, which we worked for.

And there was Doctor Martin Luther King,

And the world heard him say, “Let Freedom Ring!”

And there were protest songs that we would sing.

And the world changed and we all did our thing.

Then time passed and here we are in new days

When we still cheer and we still praise and raise

The banners high, high, for our high school teams

But it’s a time of more protests, it seems

The face of prejudice has returned race,

Hate and discrimination to the place

We thought we had gone through and had passed

And gone beyond, so we could say, at last,

“Free at last!” But three steps forward now two

Back. And now there are new times to get through.

And the team will kneel as a team because

That’s what teams do, as they honor the cause

Of their teammates, so they kneel, not to pray,

But to protest and hope a better day

Will come when they can rise together and

Hold their heads high together, as they stand

Together and be proud. But now they kneel

Together because they’re a team and feel

The passion of their teammate and brother

So they kneel together for each other.

And they “Rise, Rise For Evanston,” and fight

And try to win the game with all their might

“Fighting hard for every yard.” As before,

As a team, “As the crashing echoes roar!”

And we cheer, raising heads and banners high.

Because in team we know there is no I.

So as they kneel what we should do is praise

Their teamwork, as they hope for better days,

As we once hoped, so we know how they feel.

As they stand together, even though they kneel.

Robert Lindner

Thank you Karen for your words.

I think it is a wonderful day in the history of ETHS.  Long overdue. 

Oppressing our fellow countryman is not disrespectful? It's OK to kill innocent people but not OK to kneel during a song about war? It's OK to destroy lives but not destroy a piece of material that is supposed to represent what we stand for.

"All people are created equal" yet we still do not treat all as equal. To put the country back on the course we charted, history shows us that sometimes it is necessary to protest. 

The true disrespect is for the athletes who are respectfully bringing this problem to the attention of a large audience. Those who don't want change, call them un American in an effort to divert the blame from themselves to those who protest against injustice. Sadly this has worked. Burning our flag to symbolize one didn't agree with the policy of those in power was not an act against America, as the leaders wanted us to believe, but rather an act of extraordinary love for their country. 

Who chose the Star Spangled Banner anyway? .America the Beautiful would be a better choice. Did someone get royalties every time it was played or sung? Imagine the money to be made. Were there lobyists and payoffs? 

Bless those who protest to bring us closer to our ideals. History proves they are true Americans despite what names they may be called 

Beautifully stated, Robert. It is good to know that the idealism of youth has not faded in some of us as we enter our "Golden Years."  The struggle continues!

Yes, a sad day for ETHS history, but more so for American history that after this much time working toward perfecting this Union of States, the issue of racism has not been resolved. More empathy is needed, more getting outside of the bubble of privilege, more walking in the moccasins of others is needed. Going forward, the optimists among us live in hope that one day people will recognize that we are one race - the human race, that we should treat people as we ourselves would like to be treated, that we should not make our personal gains by exploiting others and that we might live up to the essence of the religions that we profess to believe in. Peace.

Looking For Better Angels

Some leaders can appeal to the goodness

That we all have, those better angels which

Can be summoned in a crisis, when distress

Comes, as it will, to people, poor or rich.

But some leaders will appeal to division,

To the evil we also have inside,

Sewing anger, hatred and derision,

Raising demons of greed, envy, and pride,

Instead of those better angels, bringing

Out the worst in us, rather than the best.

So if you find you’re angry, and clinging

To words that separate you from the rest

Of us, who hope for better angels to

Appear, raise yourself above, look around

For your better angels, they’ll come to you.

For your life shall be better when they’re found.

Robert

A GREAT day for ETHS history - a nonviolent protest on the part of our young poeple against America's original sin