The kneelers are not disrespecting the flag. They are in a praying stance by saying, “we love our country, but feel it needs to get better.” Expressing of patriotism comes in many shapes and sizes, and arguing otherwise, is an authoritarian mindset.
This argument sounds a lot like the questions about the meaning of the Confederate flag. If a player decides to express his patriotism by waving a flag of his own choosing during the anthem is that okay? What if the flag is the Confederate flag? Hammer and sickle?
The players are employees of the NFL; the NFL has every right to regulate their behavior on the field.
The NFL has banned excessive celebrations. Is that a violation of free speech?
The NFL bans messages in eye black; the NCAA enacted a similar rule after Tebow put bible verses in his eye black. Is that a violation of free speech and freedom of religion?
They didnt start coming on to the field during the anthem till 2009 because of a big payment by the Air Force. Its a recruitment tool. They need to revert back to pre-2009.
The US did not have an official anthem until 1931. An unofficial anthem was “My Country T’is of Thee”, which has the same melody as “God Save the Queen”.
NFL players are fine with standing for that tune. Maybe we should go back to it.
This weekend all across the United States Americans will be grilling. I am sure there is a significant percentage of those that talk the talk about respecting the flag and how football players should sing the anthem etc, but those same people will have no problem in wiping the burger grease from their mouths with napkins that have a representation of the flag printed on them or they will be wearing t-shirts with the flag on it but by the end of the day it will be covered in food, beer and in some cases vomit.
Just walk into any wal-mart and you will see the flag disrespected by adorning any manner of items and to add insult to injury all these items are made in China. So all these patriotic Americans are helping to prop up a regime that is the opposite of everything that America stands for.
Remember these kneeling clowns had an entire off season to work for social justice. So what exactly did they do? Zero, zip, nada. They only want to take a knee for the flag when a camera is around. Why are they protesting? Apparently because they live in a country where not everyone is a good person. Cry babies.
