I am not a veteran. And I am not patriotic in the usual way. I do love America, but I do not think we are perfect, and we act far too arrogant at times. That being said, it may seem disrespectful to sit during the National Anthem, but we have the right to do so.
I'm talking about Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback who chose to sit during the national anthem in protest against racial oppression. He explained on his twitter the varying reasons for it, including incidents of police brutality and various unjust events which have involved people of color and different religions.
From the posts on social media I've seen, it seems the majority of people take a deep offense to this. I think the reason so many people are outraged by this (as well as almost anything that insults America), is that we don't want to admit there is a problem. NEWS FLASH. There is a problem. The earliest major incident that I'm aware of is the Rodney King beating in 1991, where he was beaten by four officers while more stood around and watched. It was even caught on video. But, they were found not guilty.
Another incident. July 2014, Eric Garner. He was put into a choke hold while officers were trying to restrain him after him resisting arrest. He is said to have repeated eleven times, "I can't breathe." He was pronounced dead an hour later at the hospital.
Arizona teens were forced to remove their "Black Lives Matter" shirts at school. In 2015, a man named James Carl was arrested for setting a mosque on fire. One of the Muslim members of congress received a death threat last December.
If I have my facts wrong, please correct me. I respect the truth. Police brutality is not the only issue, nor is only one race being targeted as a whole. And, though it actually sickens me to have to type this -- no, those men that died or were beaten weren't "innocent." Who cares,though? "Obey or die" is not a choice any human being should face in this country if we are who we say we are as a nation.
I said all that to say, sitting down for the national anthem may offend you. But what should actually offend you is the rampant hatred shown to people of color in the America we call home. According to this Buzzfeed article, many veterans are backing Kaepernick for his decision. In case you didn't know, people died to give Colin Kaepernick the right to sit or stand, whichever he chooses. Or do we not live in a free country?
I'll leave you with this quote from Dante: "The hottest spots in hell are reserved for those who, in times of moral crisis, preserve their neutrality."
