Protests by NFL players refusing to stand for the national anthem prior to the start of football games in which they are about to play, has been the subject of much controversy as of late.
The American flag is a symbol of Americanism for which the United States government is responsible for ensuring.
It is the U.S. government after all who is ultimately accountable when it fails to uphold its promise as a nation to its citizens.
And let’s be clear ; a failure to protect even one American citizen, is a failure to all.
The case of NFL players compelled to protest the excessive use of force by law enforcement that has been responsible for a string of unnecessary deaths of unarmed black men since 2011, is just such a failure.
These players are simply taking advantage of their fame to reach a quantity of people otherwise impossible for the average American citizen.
Let’s face it, “writing your local congressional representative” hardly remains an effective path to justice, and in present-day America, the squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease.
The President of the United States publicly choosing the word of the President of Russia over that of the entire American intelligence community is an example of disrespect for the American flag.
Profound respect for the American flag on the other hand, is precisely one American citizen using their influence to shame the government for its failure of another by reminding it to, and believing that it will live up to that of which it is actually a symbol.
-BD
Bobby Duthu 