Stand up, sit down, fight fight fight

Age of the Geek Column: Well, that was the most interesting NFL Sunday in a while. Not for the games, but for the pre-show. Hundreds of players kneeling or linking arms in solidarity in defense of the right to do… well… exactly that.
It all traces back to former 49er Colin Kaepernick, who last year began to sit out of the anthem as a way to raise awareness of the racial inequality that remains in this country.
It worked. Kind of.
In spite of Kaepernick's clearly stated intentions, somehow large swaths of the American public have managed to conflate a protest against institutional racism with a protest against the armed forces.
It's an odd leap in logic. America is not its military. The American Flag is not the flag of the military. Each branch of the armed services has their own flag if somebody really wanted to send a message by kneeling in front of it. The Marine Corps has a pretty cool flag, sporting an eagle mounting a globe with an anchor behind it. The Air Force has an eagle too, along with a crest of wings and lighting bolts.
The Army flag, oddly enough, is something of an outlier since it's the only flag without an eagle. It has flags, cannons, grenades, a snake, and women's clothing, but no eagle. I'm sure there's a fascinating story behind the history of that design, but that's all beside the point.
The point, of course, being that contrary to popular perception, nobody was disrespecting the flag of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, or Coast Guard last weekend. Even a year ago, at the recommendation of a veteran friend, Kaepernick switched from sitting to kneeling as a way to honor the troops while still continuing his protest, just to avoid that confusion. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like his critics appreciated the effort.
Now one might make the argument that the United States flag is all-encompassing, but I don't think that holds up as a valid criticism. Lots of things fall under the stars and stripes, yet I don't hear anybody complaining that the protest is disrespectful to the Department of the Treasury, the FBI, or specifically the state of Montana.
Of course one might just be offended that these players are protesting America as a whole, but let's face facts. America as a whole kind of deserves it.
Is anybody in this country under the impression that the racial divide has been eliminated? Does anybody think that systematic racism isn't a problem we've yet to solve?
No? Then these protests serve a purpose and isn't that what we should be focused on? America is a great country, but it's a lot greater for some people than others and there's no harm in being reminded of that. Even on game day.
Frankly, it's more than a little disturbing how many people seem more concerned with the pageantry of the national anthem than the ideals of freedom and equality this nation is supposed to strive for. Particularly in this case.
These players aren't rioting, blocking highways, or arranging sit-ins in public places. They are kneeling, an action that affects nobody else and is, frankly, nobody else's business. The reaction seems disproportionate.
We don't seem to have a problem with the concept of freedom to protest outside of the football field. When the Westboro Baptist Church protests military funerals they are actually explicitly and intentionally disrespecting our armed forces. They are disgusting displays that are designed to provoke negative responses, but the fact remains that is their right to do so. Their continued existence, no matter how unsightly, is a testament to this nation's commitment to free speech.
So why then do we grit our teeth and abide notorious hate groups for the greater good, but completely lose our cool when well intentioned minorities quietly protest to raise awareness for a worthy cause?
Freedoms aren't freedoms if they are selectively applied and you can't claim to respect this country's symbols when you disrespect its principles. Songs and flags are not what make this country great. It's the unending drive to make tomorrow better than yesterday. If we can't respect that, then what's the point of the rest of it?
Travis Fischer is a news writer for Mid-America Publishing and there's nothing more patriotic than believing a country can do better.