Michael Jordan once said, “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” I understand that quoting an NBA legend in regards to actions in the NFL might seem strange to some, but I love this quote and the message is still rock solid—despite failures, stumbles, or roadblocks, the only way we are going to grow is if we work through the discomfort. Essentially, it can be summed up by the ultimate cliché “no pain, no gain.” Not only is that a great message for the world of sports, it’s a strong one for life as well.

I am a 22-year-old college student. I lean to the right, politically. I am obsessed with football. I love and respect our military immeasurably. I am the son of a former Lt. Colonel in the Air Force, a man I greatly admire for defending the freedoms we enjoy today. I always stand for the National Anthem and will continue to do so, because it's how I show love for this country of mine. I also love our constitution, the bedrock of our values and who we are as a nation. I do not believe it to be a coincidence that the very first amendment in that wonderful document covers our rights to free speech and the freedom of expression. In an era where people are fearful that free speech is under attack from those who disagree, some of those same fearful people are ironically those who are hurling the most vitriolic attacks at the NFL and its players.

I will admit that a year ago the thought of someone having the audacity to not stand for the anthem made my blood boil. That long-held belief was suddenly and irrevocably shaken while witnessing the horror of Charlottesville. I began to start to understand what the players’ message was. I’ve always seen a great America, but not everyone views this country through the same lens I do. My reshaped opinion on the subject was further compounded when I read about the experience of the excessive police force that Michael Bennett, a famous athlete, went through. However, despite my newfound understanding, I will admit that there certainly is a part of me that is still uncomfortable with seeing someone sit or kneel during the anthem.

But maybe that’s the point.

Maybe protests should make us uncomfortable. Maybe we should be furious, confused, and shocked. Maybe then we might be able to empathize with a fraction of the hurt that people of color still face when dealing with gross injustice and inequality today. I firmly believe that discomfort is growth, and without it, we may never continue down the path in which we set out to journey. Through the saga of the anthem protests, I have heard several recurring talking points and arguments that people keep reiterating. Talking points I have heard from all walks of life in my community, online, and from those in the media. Talking points that continue to deeply frustrate me because they are flung out into the debate so carelessly, and thoughtlessly, as if they were salt being tossed on a frozen driveway.

1. “There are better ways to do this, better ways to have your voice heard.”

I start with this argument because this is the one we all hear the most. The thing about this is that when people say it they never really seem to bring up an alternative. There is never a suggestion of how this message can be improved. When I keep hearing people claim “there is a better way” I wonder (whether it’s subconscious or not) if that’s really just code for “aren’t there are other ways to do this so I am not bothered?” If Colin Kaepernick held a large rally in a city somewhere, would we actually listen? If Michael Bennett went on FOX or CNN to discuss the issue of racial inequality, would we continue to watch? Or would we change the channel and tune them out?

Ask yourself, is it the slightest bit possible that we have become so accustomed to all the “traditional” protests over the past few years that we might be ok with another one akin to that since it's familiar? Since it’s comfortable to us now? We all watched the riots in Baltimore and Ferguson, and I remember us all saying again “there are better ways to protest.” Well, here we are where Americans are choosing to protest in a completely peaceful manner, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi strongly advocated for. Yet there is an even stronger negative response. Almost as if we are saying “no, no, no, don’t protest like that! That’s not what WE meant! That’s not what WE wanted!” Choosing the anthem as the platform for a protest is a shock to the system, one that is guaranteed to get our attention and one we cannot ignore. It’s something that’s striking a chord. It’s something that makes us uncomfortable.

2. “No one’s listening! Everyone is so angry because of it that nothing will be heard.”

First off, plenty of people are listening. They are listening loud and clear. If YOU’RE not listening, then that seems like a you-problem for not choosing to seek out the answer. Plenty of NFL players have given very thoughtful responses and have laid out exactly why they are protesting. This is not an anti-America movement. This is not an anti-military movement. This isn’t even an all-out anti-police movement since none of the players are even claiming that every police officer is a bad person. They, like the rest of us, recognize there are far more good cops than bad, but it is the bad among the good that is worth fighting to improve.

This protest is entirely about racial and social inequality that people of color face in our country. If you aren’t listening because you’re so angry by this then this is yet another you-problem. John Wooden, with his near infinite wisdom, used to say “Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.” If you are so angry you cannot possibly take the time to even acknowledge the opposing viewpoint, or make even the slightest effort to try and see things from a different perspective, then you probably should mature a bit. As my father always tells me “you can’t go into an argument without at least being open to the possibility you might have your opinion changed.”

3. “How can you possibly consider yourself oppressed by making millions of dollars?”

I must confess, this is an argument I regrettably used once. When Kaepernick made waves by sitting for the first time, I snarked on Facebook the next morning using that very argument. Perhaps the most well-known and popular stars in the NFL are not facing everyday inequality that others do. But does that mean they shouldn’t try to use whatever voice they have to try their best to enact change? Have you ever gone up to a friend who donated clothing to a homeless shelter and asked them “How can you empathize with those people? Why do you feel that way? I mean, you have a house!” Or maybe some players, despite the advantages that professional athletes receive, DO still experience the very thing they are trying to change. The obvious example here is Michael Bennett, but his teammate Cliff Avril admits that incidents like that or other injustices happen to black athletes far more than we know. If this still happens to professional athletes who are innocent, imagine what happens to regular men and women who don’t have fame and wealth to shield them.

4. “What do they even hope to accomplish? How is this going to change anything?”

The ultimate goal here is to simply create a dialogue. A chance to shed a light on the issues that concern the players the most and weigh the heaviest on their hearts. As I mentioned previously, it’s clearly starting a dialogue that hasn’t always had the limelight it so rightfully deserves over the past few years. Philadelphia Eagle Malcolm Jenkins himself has mentioned that he has been to DC to meet with our Representatives to discuss the issues that the protests are centered on.

Another example is that of the Cleveland police department. During the Browns third preseason game, a number of players knelt during the anthem. The department then declared they would be boycotting the team! Yet two weeks later during the Browns home opener, the players ran out onto the field with police officers racing beside them. This was a result of Browns players meeting with the police department under a new dialogue. Perhaps more might be able to be accomplished from such a new relationship. Maybe the Cleveland police will reassess certain practices that might be seen as problematic. Maybe they develop new policing standards and training. The thing about massive change is that it does not happen overnight. You have to endure.

5. “It’s so insulting to our troops! They didn’t give their lives for people to not stand!”

Want to know what I think is kind of insulting to our troops? Thinking that every one of them does not have the mental fortitude or maturity to accept that Americans are protesting peacefully. These are the best and bravest among us, and many have seen active combat duty. You think they are brave enough to fight our wars yet suddenly cannot function at all because people aren’t standing? The bravest of all Americans are those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country fighting for the values we hold near and dear to our hearts. The values which make us who we are. Values that include the right to freedom of speech. The right to freedom of expression. They fought for a country where people could choose to sit or stand without the fear of some government agency whisking them away under a black bag in the middle of the night because they spoke out. I know of many men and women who have served and are still serving that have come out in open support of the NFL players as well. Just the other day I read about a 97-year-old World War II veteran, a member of the greatest generation that fought the forces of fascism, who knelt in support of those expressing free speech. One of my closest friends who is currently in the army told me “anybody in the military who doesn’t recognize that they’re also fighting for the freedom of someone to kneel does not truly know what they’re fighting for.”

6. “Stick to sports and leave politics out of it!”

Life is politics and politics is life. Politics has everything to do with our daily lives, whether we recognize it or not. From Congress to the office, to the little league baseball team and even to family discussions for dinner, it’s all politics. To believe that you have the ability to decide when to engage or not engage in politics, to be able to live a life where you don’t have to concern yourself over laws and regulations being passed in order to better that life, is a privilege of the unaffected in the highest order.

7. “In America, we stand for the anthem. If you don’t like this country, THEN LEAVE IT!”

Ugh, this one is the worst. This is by far the laziest, most illogical, most selfish, least thought out and ridiculous argument I have ever heard. This baffles me. As Nick Wright mentioned on Sunday, “apply this logic to literally anything else and it’s just laughable.” Let’s do that, shall we? Imagine you pick up your newly repaired car from the auto-shop. This car has always been a great vehicle for you for many years, so there has never been a reason to ever get a new one. But as you drive it out of the shop, your tire pops. Now, you could technically still drive, but progress forward would be severely hindered. Are you just going to give up on that car, leave it on the side of the road, and just find a new one because you don’t like a bad aspect of it? Or are you going to do everything in your power to try and correct that flaw in whatever way you can? Which is the more responsible course of action? The point here is obviously that you can love something but still desire improvement.

I think we can all agree that being a patriotic citizen is having a love of country. Is standing for our national anthem a way to show patriotism? Absolutely. Is fighting hard to try and improve your country to make it better for everyone patriotic as well? You bet it is. Patriotism is not monolithic. It’s not some “one-size-fits-most” model that you must try to conform to accommodate. Players like the Bennett brothers, Eric Reid, Malcolm Jenkins, and countless other individuals are showing their love of country by standing up (so to speak) for what they believe is right. For what it is they think they can do to perhaps bring about justice for those who yearn for it so desperately. Under threats from “fans,” the possibility of lost sponsorships, and hateful, ignorant comments from the so-called leader of the free world, they are sticking to their guns and expressing their God-given freedom of speech.

I have decided to break my silence on this topic because it is time for the unaffected to start caring as if we were the affected. It is time for us to start to try to understand and empathize. It is time to understand that we have fellow countrymen who do not see the hope and opportunity in America that we do. It is time for us to make an effort ourselves to keep the great parts of our country strong and to help improve the parts that need improvement. What does this action even look like? Maybe it’s writing to our Congressional Representatives or attending their town halls. Maybe it’s studying the history of the injustice in our modern time to grow in understanding. Or maybe it’s as simple as starting a conversation with a friend who is adamantly obstinate about this issue. I still completely support our military. I support my country. I support those who choose to stand or sit.

In an ironic twist, comments meant to discourage players from participating in this protest backfired remarkably so and breathed new life into it. This movement has been revitalized, and it doesn’t appear that it will be going away anytime soon.

It’s time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.