Another view of Kaepernick protest

Colin Kaepernick has been told that his protests on behalf of equality dishonor the military men and women who have died fighting for the anthem and the flag.

He is told that, as a wealthy professional athlete, he should thank the nation that has done so much for him and honor that nation by standing for its anthem.

First, let us recognize that warriors fight, not for songs and flags, but for the principles they represent. Two of the principles we hold most dear are found in the words of the anthem (land of the free) and the Declaration of Independence (all men are created equal).

But those words were written, and the flag representing those ideals was adopted at a time in our history when a significant fraction of the American population was neither free nor equal. A bloody Civil War and an agonizingly long struggle against Jim Crow laws and the KKK have succeeded in gaining much toward equality.

But, we are not there yet. When he hears the anthem, Kaepernick could stand and say, "Thanks America. I've got mine." But that would be to deny this fact: Despite his fame and wealth, he is still subject to being pulled over for "driving while black." In other words, that would be to deny our failure to achieve perfection in our pursuit of equal justice under the law.

Kaepernick recognizes that, while his actions could cost him millions, they are also focusing attention on a serious national problem. If the symbolic actions of a few professional football players initiate the conversation necessary to effectuate equality in the land of the free, so be it.

Donald G. Westlake

Wheaton