No other symbol on earth represents freedom as much as the American Flag does. None. Zip. Nada. It is American principles of individual freedom that spread across the planet that largely eliminated most slavery in the world. It is the ideals of America, symbolized by that flag that has so many people living in actual oppression working as hard as they can to find a way into this country. It is the principles of our Constitution symbolically waving ... the principles that should bind us, even in our political difference. The basic principles. It is a symbol of the sacrifice that some have made with their lives, that others have made by living by our concepts of our right to swing our arms ending at someone else's nose, that symbol of opportunity that our lives are what we make them, of American exceptionalism and American moral authority.
In other words, it is the oddest symbol, on the entire planet, to protest when your protest is about oppression.
That's one of several things I find offensive about it all.
Even in the event that you think America is not living up to their ideal standard, the Flag also represents the ideal standard. It is the beacon of freedom across the globe (or was).
I think we are horrifically flawed as a nation .. our government is corrupt, we are too influential in other countries affairs, we over tax our populace, our government steals freedoms from individuals on a daily basis with no intent of returning them, we have government run ponzi schemes of progressive taxation, social security, Medicare and are well on our way to the biggest of them all, single payor healthcare, we create dependents to strengthen the control of government over our populace, we have neutered our free press watchdog into politically factional propaganda mechanisms, we have unequal treatment in our justice system based on gender and ethnicity, ..... BUT I WOULD NEVER DISRESPECT WHAT THAT FLAG ACTUALLY REPRESENTS, lest we forget what America has always been striving to become, even when our institutions are failing us.
Protest any other time, and I will be pissed that you are bringing politics into my escape from politics but I at least won't despise you for it .. and at least I won't boycott your sport for it.
As for what I think they are protesting, or at least some of them, I think that I agree that we have some degree of inequality within our justice system from point of contact with police, to decision on whether to prosecute, to likelihood of conviction, to sentence given upon conviction and to early release. It should be addressed. It does get better as the culture becomes more and more ethically advanced with regards to racism, though we appeared to take a step back the last 9 years. But I can't get on board with a group of assholes protesting during the national anthem and presentation of our flag. And as a fan, they are spitting in my face as a customer. In America, despite my love of football, there are other options for entertainment for me when you disrespect me. i will select those options until you quit doing it, apologize and play football.
