Kneeling

As a child, i found it strange that allowing the US flag to touch the ground was considered disrespectful. My reasoning was that since the people and the land are the primary components of our country, how can it possibly be considered disrespectful to allow the flag to touch the ground of our nation? I still believe that.

This current controversy over kneeling during the national anthem seems to me to fall into the same category. How can kneeling be considered disrespectful? Touching one’s knee to the ground of the United States is disrespectful? Horsefeathers!  Our flag and national anthem are merely symbols of the country. The ground is one of the components of the country itself. Consciously kneeling on it, in my view, is an expression of profound respect – similar to kneeling to pray.

My personal opinion is that not singing along with the national anthem is disrespectful to the country. However, am i going to boycott a business because an employee of that business fails to sing along to the national anthem? Of course not. I wouldn’t boycott the business even if the owner failed to sing along to the national anthem. I recognize that everyone has a right to opinions that differ from my own.

One of the great things about this country is that we have the right to express our beliefs in many varied ways. Another great thing about the country is that most of its citizens respect the right of others to hold and express their beliefs. Not to respect this right is a slap in the face of our people, the most important component of our country.

NFL players and others who choose to kneel during the national anthem to call attention to a very real societal problem are showing much more respect for the country than those who would seek to punish them for doing so.