When I see the nation's flag or hear the national anthem, I never, EVER, think of the people elected to lead this country--past or present--not President, not Senators, not Representatives, etc. They come and go, and all have flaws which could be exploited.

Instead, I ALWAYS think of what this great nation stands for: individual freedom and opportunity; how we continue to work toward these ideals, never giving up on hope for improvement; and how much I want and believe in these things.

That is what the flag and anthem represent!...this great republic!...this wild experiment of trusting people to make their own choices!

To me, turning away or disrespecting the flag or anthem is to turn away or disrespect individual freedom and opportunity. This is because I do not pin what this nation stands for on any particular elected person. Ergo, to me, the flag and anthem do NOT equate to elected persons and/or their actions.

So, to protest elected officials and/or their actions by protesting the flag or anthem makes no sense to me whatsoever. If you want to show your disagreement with elected officials, by all means, do so; if you want to speak against racial inequalities, please, let it be known; and, if you want to express your desire to liberate the oppressed (however you define this), of course, demonstrate it.

But, from my perspective, turning away or disrespecting the flag or anthem, do NOT achieve these goals. Instead these actions tell me you actually do NOT agree with individual freedom and opportunity (because, to me, that is what the flag and anthem stand for)...and I'm left thinking, "Well, then, what is it you want?...something other than freedom and opportunity? I don't get it. Where else are you going to find that, to the degree you will find it here?"

There are other ways to show disagreement with elected officials, speak against racial inequalities, and express desire to liberate the oppressed.

To me, the ideals which the flag and anthem represent transcend everything which comes and goes: people, actions, policies, etc.

And if this is the case, wouldn't everyone who believes in these ideals be able to unite in supporting and respecting the nation's flag and national anthem at all times?

So to hear NFL players are "taking a knee" during the national anthem, simply communicates to me they do NOT believe in the ideals of this nation. I'm more likely to feel the same as the fans who thought the demonstration was a "disgrace" or "unethical" or "disgusting", because it means they have the privilege of taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to them, and yet are protesting that very fact.

It was not until someone else pointed out to me they were demonstrating racial inequalities, that I realized this was what they were doing. I still don't know if that really is the case. And that is my point: the protest is misplaced if they are protesting anything other than freedom and equality...because of what the flag and anthem represent: way more than a single topic of racial equality. I did not see the color or race of the protesting players at all...it makes no difference to me. All I saw were American citizens disagreeing with the very freedoms and opportunities they have exercised to be able to be out on that field in the first place.

And then there are professional athletes who choose to not visit the white house because they disagree with some of the statements or policies of the current President. To me, this is very different from turning away or disrespecting the flag or anthem...because the President is NOT equated to the ideals of this country. If you want to turn down an invitation to somebody's house because you do not want to appear as if you support their statements or policies, fine, do it. Don't go. It's your decision. You're probably right...accepting the invitation would look like you endorse them and/or their actions.

Indeed, I would think twice about appearing to support Donald Trump's bigotry and bullying, just as much as I would think twice about appearing to support Bill Clinton's private infidelities and public lying.

Remember, I see the flag and anthem as symbols of ideals I stand for, but I do not see them as representing elected officials or their actions. Two separate things.

Bottom line:

I can support the ideals for which the nation's flag and national anthem stand, without supporting the nation's elected officials and their actions. And, more importantly, people need to think about how others will interpret protests against the nation's flag and national anthem, i.e. if the flag and anthem represent something different to others, a person's protest may be misinterpreted, misunderstood, and not well received.