The recent NFL players’ actions during the playing of the National Anthem of taking a knee or raising their hands to protest police brutality have upset many football fans resulting in attendance numbers dropping.
Under the freedom of speech, these players have the legal right to express their views by protesting.
However, many citizens see these actions as a form of disrespect to the millions of military personnel who have served and are serving this country.
More than a million men and women have been killed in the service of this country since the Revolutionary War. There have also been many millions who have been wounded while serving.
In my family, my father in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II got trench foot or frostbitten feet. During the Vietnam War, my brother served his tour of duty in the jungles and got slightly wounded. My first cousin paid the ultimate price when he was killed by a landmine and my brother-in-law died of stomach cancer from Agent Orange 25 years after being exposed to it.
These players should brush up on their American civics and history to find out the real story about their rights and freedoms. There is a place and a time to protest injustices. It is not during the playing of the National Anthem.
Please pay respect to the military veterans who have served this great country during America’s conflicts and wars.
Silvestre Moreno Jr. Mercedes
