I don’t know of anyone that thinks the players are doing it to disrespect the troops. That is a leftist narrative to combat dissent against their action. They were kneeling to bring awareness to police brutality against unarmed black men. No one is disputing that. Their action however does offend some because we place the whole of a nation and our the symbols of our nation above that of the individual. I respect their attempt to bring awareness, I disagree with their method.
I’ve not seen one person say they don’t have the right to do it. I’ve seen a lot say they shouldn’t do it as it does offend many. Personally, I fought for and have covered the coffins of fallen comrades with that flag. That flag is presented to the fallen’s next of kin as a symbol of their sacrifice. I find their act, while noble in its own right, to be extremely disrespectful and tone deaf. They have the right to do whatever they want. It’s guaranteed by the 1st amendment. With freedom comes consequence though. The consequence for their action is a lot of people tuned out and turned off the NFL. They are afterall, entertainers. Their product suffers. Maybe the players are fine with that. The men responsible for the money were not. It’s irrespective of the color of skin. The product suffers, and those players no longer have their platform. A business owner has every right to defend their product and place appropriate behavioral guidelines on their employees. It’s not a restriction of the player’s “rights”. They can still do it, they can be held responsible for their conduct. See if they care more about their money than they do their cause. Let’s see how principled they truly are.
