NFL Players Kneeling During the National Anthem

So you agree with their right to protest peacefully and legally, in any way they prefer, just not that way.

Got it.

Deleted.

You know what is disrespectful? The daily racism faced by many minorities in this country. That is truly disrespectful.

The players are in NO WAY disrespecting the military, etc. I feel sorry for folks whose patriotism is wrapped up in a piece of cloth. It is unfortunate that some people don't know the true meaning of love of country.

If you love your country, do something to stop senseless gun violence that kills thousands of American every year, including children.

If you love your country, do something about the wink, wink, nod, nod that the Bum gives to racists in this country.

Again, I will kneel with the NFL players, but I will NEVER stand with Donald Trump.

Patriotism isn't wrapped up in a flag, jingoism is.

I think you are wrong on at least 2 points:

Kapernick changed from sitting during the anthem, to kneeling after speaking with a military veteran, in order to show respect for their service. So, no, when players kneel, they are not dishonoring the military, including your grandfather and father. If you feeling insulted, thats on you, not the players. And for pete's sake, they usually don't even televise the anthem. I'v seen baseball players spit and adjust their cups when the anthem was playing, and nobody jumped on them for being disrespectful.

NFL viewership is down, but for several reasons: more people are streaming games instead of watching broadcast TV; gambling on fantasy football has been squashed; people are put off by the stories of chronic traumatic brain injury (there is a decrease in children participating in football); changes in rules to decrease injuries may the game "less exciting"; restrictions on celebrations by players; poor officiating; and a phenomenon called cord-cutting, that is younger people just aren't watching as much TV as baby boomers.

This whole faux outrage is because white men are incensed that uppity n*******s refuse to obey the massa',. Players are criticized for not being aren't more grateful, as if just anybody could go out there and perform the way they do, risking career ending injury every week. Yeah, they may be overpaid, but if some one is going to offer it, why should they turn it down. And many, if not most, have foundations that do good works. Kapernick has donated more of his own money to charity that the Orange Bum.

If the NFL is losing money, its their own fault for overextending themselves by signing big contracts with networks and overrated players, like Johny Football.

I don't care about pro football one way or the other, but I support the players' protests. Lord knows, African Americans in this country have plenty to protest about! And kneeling is not being disrespectful; it is a respectful protest. I saw a photo on the news over the weekend of the staff of one team (I don't even recall which team it was) circling one of the players during the anthem and physically blocking the view so that people in the stands couldn't see he was slouching on the bench and smirking during the national anthem (from the angle of the photo, you could see that that is what he was doing). That is disrespectful. Kneeling instead of standing isn't.

My personal view is that the carrying on by That Creep Trump and other conservatives about how this is "disrespectful" to the flag and military is just a red herring, an attempt to distract people from the real issues at hand, police violence toward African-Americans and the general, hateful inequality in our society.

I haven't said the pledge of allegiance for years (Anabaptist/Mennonite here) and would gladly take a knee beside these guys.

The entire point of protest is to make people uncomfortable. If it disturbs you to see NFL players peacefully taking a knee and hurting no one, then work to reform police brutality that kills unarmed black men daily. If it bothers you to see on TV, freaking change the channel or don't watch. And reflect on how uncomfortable it is for ethnic minorities to be reminded every day of their lives that people view them/their lives/their health/their family as less important because you aren't white. It's PD racist to expect black men to play a sport for your entertainment (slave owners did that too, you know) and then get mad when they don't 'stay in their place.'

So you agree with their right to protest peacefully and legally, in any way they prefer, just not that way.

Got it.

Like the OP, I agree with their right to protest. I also am humbly grateful to our veterans and the sacrifices made by current and past generations to protect our right to protest and all the liberties we enjoy as Americans. I appreciate that I have this forum and other venues to freely express my opinion in this country. I thank God that I have this full realization. I fully realize that many sacrifices were made so that I can now enjoy these freedoms. Because of this realization, I would NEVER disrespect any symbol of my freedom and pray that those involved in these protests will come to the same realization, and find other ways to protest.

Taking a knee during the anthem is not being disrespectful to the anthem, or the flag, or the military. That is the narrative of the POTUS who prefers to change the focus from the racist targeting of blacks within our criminal justice justice system to a jingoist and racist dog whistle.. The big boss white man changed that narrative to suit HIS agenda (which seems to coincide ideologically with those fine people caring torches).