I have no use for Colin Kaepernick who is, among other things, a male chauvinist pig, but I am on his side with regard to his protest during the playing of the national anthem. If the First Amendment grants citizens the right to burn an American flag in protest, then it ought to permit a person to protest by taking a knee during the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner."
I have written on the topic of disrespecting the national anthem in a previous posting (see "Shame on You," from January 22, 2012), and I include a few pertinent sentences here.
In my youth (and yes, that was many decades ago) when the anthem was performed before a sporting event, spectators stood, removed hats, put hands over hearts, and even if they didn't sing along, they did face the flag, and even if they weren't exactly solemn, they were at least quiet for the duration. When it was over, they applauded and cheered, not for the performance but for the anthem and the republic for which it stands.
Over the years, sports fans have started clapping and cheering closer to the start of the song than the end of it, until at some events they carried on clapping and yelling and making noise throughout. As time goes on, fewer and fewer folks actually sing, stand, remove hats, and put hands over hearts, or for that matter, even pay any attention to the anthem at all.
An athlete who kneels, and remains quiet and still during the performance, shows more respect for "The Star Spangled Banner" than the guys drinking beer and yucking it up with their pals while the anthem is performed.
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