Re: Oct. 15 Opinion column, “Mavericks should stand together and bring forth change.”
And we wonder why every generation in our country becomes increasingly obnoxious and devoid of respect for authority with every passing year. It’s an old saying that maturity comes with age, but apparently these days maturity either doesn’t exist or it is completely confused with lashing out against authority.

Today, a “mature” college student questions every elder who has already been where the “mature” student is now. It’s “all the rage” these days to call out a professor in class, or a world leader in the media. We feel we have a duty to expose the people who were once regarded as role models while we look to Hollywood for our opinions and feelings.

Have we just completely lost the ability to think for ourselves, or are we just completely confused about what it means to have our own convictions?

Before tossing around the notion that “mavericks” are ruining our country, one should consult a history book to find that it was a troop of mavericks who fought in bloody wars — against all odds — to lay the foundations and very beginnings of America. Guns, flag pins and bald eagles may seem worthless to you, Daniel Dunn, but the single mother protecting her children from an armed burglar appreciates that gun and her right to own it.

That flag pin may be a “useless accessory” to you, Mr. Dunn, but the WWII veteran wears it on his chest with pride, because he lost both of his legs to defend it.

That bald eagle may be “just another bird” to you, Mr. Dunn, but to the Americans who appreciate freedom and have love and respect for their country, it’s a symbol of freedom — something billions of people will never experience.

A maverick does indeed put his or her country first. While it may be a foreign idea to so many “mature” and “intellectual” college students, it’s a way of life for that soldier crouching down in his fox hole, fighting for your freedom to print such garbage.

Aron Lemon is a senior majoring in biomedical science.