Disagreement over meaning of the flag

[mikecurtis]

@puddleglum

The flag does not belong just to the soldiers as you say, it belongs to everyone who has worked, suffered, and sacrificed to make this country great.
That is why the protests are so offensive. By protesting the anthem and the flag, you protest all of it. If people wanted to protest the police, there are police stations in every city in this country. The players could take their day off and go march in front of the police stations. Yet by choosing the to protest the anthem and the flag, they are protesting the entire country for which it stands.
If one of the NFL players wore a headband that said MLK sucks, people would probably get upset about that, even if he claimed he only meant that MLK was a bad husband because of his infidelity and he loved MLK’s civil rights work.

Malcolm Jenkins, a safety and defensive team captain with the Philadelphia Eagles, is playing his ninth season in the NFL.

A year ago, I was one of several NFL players who began demonstrating in the hope of sparking conversation about injustice in our country. That effort has now grown to include players and teams across the league, as we proclaim together that we believe in equality and justice for everyone. We understand that these conversations are often uncomfortable, but they are important for progress. Our demonstrations have never been about the symbols and traditions we use to honor America. They have been about us as citizens making sure we hold America to the ideals and promises that make this country great.

We believe our country can do better — can be better.

In the past year, more than 40 NFL players have joined Anquan Boldin, who retired this summer after 14 seasons, and me to form a Players Coalition dedicated to improving our criminal-justice system.

We want to lend our voices to changing this flawed system, which is crippling our nation and especially affects people who are poor or of color. We have gone on ride-alongs with police, visited Capitol Hill and talked with policy advocates and grass-roots organizers. We’ve learned first-hand about the problems we face. We’ve also learned that we aren’t alone. There are plenty of Republicans and Democrats, community leaders and members of law enforcement who agree.

I’ve heard people say that my colleagues and I are un-American and unpatriotic. Well, we want to make America great. We want to help make our country safe and prosperous. We want a land of justice and equality. True patriotism is loving your country and countrymen enough to want to make it better.