The Pragmatic Curmudgeon: On Exercising Constitutional Rights

"To Sin By Silence When They Should Protest Makes Cowards of Men" - Ella Wheeler Wilcox

To sin by silence, when we should protest, Makes cowards out of men.
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“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” - The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

Colin Kaepernik, and now a host of others, have been exercising their right to peacefully protest, a right guaranteed to them by the first amendment. Unfortunately the “wanna-be” dictator in the Oval Office has shown, once again, his lack of understanding of the Constitution and his utter disdain for the principles of fairness and justice that it stands for.

This began as a protest against a rash of unarmed black men being killed by overzealous police officers, in other words a protest against racial injustice, something that has plagued this country for some 240 years. It has nothing to do with disrespecting the flag and it certainly has nothing to do with these NFL players hating America. My guess is, like me, they love this country but, because they do, they feel the need to speak out when they see injustice, just like any other citizen might. After all, it is a right that they have guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

Attempting to frame this as disrespecting the flag or the military is dishonest and ignorant and shows some degree of brainwashing by right wing propaganda. Stop being mislead. It's time that we all get serious about the real problems facing this country. Peaceful protest against injustice is not one of them.....the injustice itself is.

Personally, I'm not a fan of protesting during the National Anthem and I have respect for the flag and what it represents, but it is just a symbol. I am a veteran myself, although not a veteran of war. I do, however, believe that our veterans fought, and many died, in order to preserve, not the flag, but what it stands for. Our country was founded on the self evident truth that all are created equal, and that all of us have certain rights. Those rights are pledged and affirmed in the Constitution of the United States. Among those rights, as stated in the first amendment, are the right to freedom of speech and the right to express grievances.

Therefore I respect the right for people to protest peacefully in any way that they feel they can draw attention to their grievance. I think that's what Colin Kaepernik was doing when he first took a knee. He publicly stated as much. It is his right and it doesn't offend me. In fact, it perhaps could be argued that it is his duty as a citizen of this free country to do so. I am much more offended by those who would take that right away from him.

As twentieth century writer Robert A. Heinlein, stated it "Patriotism is not 'my country right or wrong'; patriotism means loving the ideals for which America stands and having the courage to speak up when these ideals are distorted...".

Our bully in chief in the White House only served to escalate the protests (as we saw on Sunday) and further divide the nation by his outrageous, angry, crazed speech on Friday. He is dividing us like nothing ever before and he’s doing it on purpose just to fire up his base and bask in their cheers like the attention seeking narcissist that he is. Unfortunately many sheep are following. This does not bode well for our future.