Commentary: Our Beautiful Colors Published April 10, 2017 By Jordyn Funk 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- I do not have a name, nor a place where I’m from. I do not have skin color and am not labeled as female or male or have a preference of religion or have specific religious beliefs. So now I may continue without being judged. I am a military child and I see more than ever that our world is in shambles at this moment. A Country burning our own flags because we are angry, but this flag does not represent one man nor the government. A flag is a trophy or legacy, a memory for whatever you fight or fought for or believe in or could be a remembrance of who we may have lost. When you look at a flag do you see freedom? Do you see a person? Or do you see color? To some people when they look at the flag, they see it being draped over the coffin of their daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, moms, and dads and it is a reminder of what is truly important and why we are here. The flag does not represent one color or one specific person or group of people. This is a representation of all of us and what our families, past and present, have fought and continue to fight for. In this country we have brothers fighting with brothers and sisters fighting with sisters. In our country today, I feel we are divided. We are divided by race, religion, and sex. Out of all things we choose to divide us, these are the things we cannot change, I cannot change the fact that someone is black, I cannot change the fact that someone else is white. I see on social media as we set our own streets on fire or we discriminate and stereotype skin color and culture. Why are we fighting ourselves? What can I do to bring us together? We all need to remember what makes us strong and why we are important. What makes this country so important you ask? To me, I picture a pot (and yes I know we’ve all heard the melting pot scenario) but picture this pot, you aren’t just mixing colors, you're mixing flavors, you're mixing cultures and traditions, and you're mixing hope. By the time you’re done mixing you have this vibrant color, nothing the world has ever seen. It’s beautiful, it’s real and it’s ever changing. It is its own color that no other country in the world has and it’s OUR America! See we aren’t black, white, brown, or purple. We’re American. We have stripes down our backs and stars on our faces. We are the definition of freedom, let me take that back, we are the color of freedom. I am not writing this to stir up drama or as a class project. I am writing this because I am a Military Child and I understand the sacrifices and see every day what the men and women in uniform bring to the table of our country. I can speak my mind without starting a riot or hurting someone else because I am proud and I am free. Please wear your stars and stripes with pride. We are American. All lives matter. Each one of us contributes to our beautiful colors so why not show it off. I am proud of my color. Will you be a part of it?