The score is 21-3 in favor of no. This will be my last comment. It's time for me to move on. Thanks for all the comments,criticisms, discussion. At least "yes" got three votes so I am not alone. I wish we had more reliable statistics to use to help guide our discussion, but mostly what we have is hearsay. We will just have to see what happens.
I wish all responders well being and good luck in the future. Goodbye to my fellow agnostics. See you at the next poll!!

caepernick isn't doing anything wrong, and probably has no interest in your ass. he is making a silent, respectful statement. most veterans and military personnel from whom we've heard agree with him, and do not consider him to be disrespecting the military, veterans or the flag. there is a meme that says it well: rosa parks wasn't protesting the bus. caepernick isn't protesting the flag or the anthem. it's a way to call attention to the real, and really awful, problem of cops beating up and even killing unarmed black men (and some women) who aren't even doing anything, sometimes in their own homes. someone here asked why he didn't march to washington. why should he? he has a venue. he is using it. he is smart to do it and heartful to want to.

g

I don't have a privileged perch that I know of. I am not wealthy. I am old and white. I can't help what color I was born anymore than anyone else can. I am only the creator of the poll question.
I believe black people have been mistreated and I am not against peaceful demonstrations against that situation. I just think Kaepernack chose the wrong method. Why don't he march to Washington with a sign and do a sit in like everybody else.

It's racist that Nike doesn't care about old white men. All alumni aren't old white men. I see professional players go back to their university and donate large sums of money.
Actually, I agree that college players should be paid some amount of money, even though they are getting a free education.
I think it is a good question why at almost every football game the flag is paraded and the anthem is sung. What do they have to do with each other? I dunno. We see so many athletes pray before the game and point to the sky when they score a touchdown. I think religion is sort of a hype that gives athletes a boost of some kind.
College football has turned into big business, so has high school football in many cases. Many high school head football coaches earn $130,000 a year and never teach a class.
Back to the anthem, why do we need ceremonies at all? Why have parades, veterans day, memorial day? Why celebrate anything? I guess somewhere at some point in time, the tradition of parading the flag and singing the anthem just started, and it's been going on for over 100 years.
I think Nike supports college football with donations.
This whole Kaepernack thing is about money. Kaepernack and his agent got together long ago and planned the knee thing to get him noticed because he wasn't getting to play.
I agree that many black people aren't treated fairly in this country in a lot of ways, but don't play that slavery card. Nobody alive in this country ever owned any slaves.

Well, it's 18-3 with no winning. I am totally surprised. Maybe I am a yes because I don't believe we should mix football with politics. I played and coached football like many others. To me, football was all about team, compared to one player going his own way. But pro football is about profits and millionaires. Kaepernack should find somewhere other than the football stadium to demonstrate. I think there are a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation on both sides. I have never seen Kaepernack say what he feels on TV or elsewhere. Maybe he has done that, I don;t know.
Is there anything that all Americans have in common besides we all live in this country? I realize that the national Anthem and the flag are only symbolic. Maybe symbolism is dead in national representation. I guess we could do without a national anthem and flag. I dunno.

Just bought a Nike shirt to support the cause, in a small way, with my 2 cents. Never was a fan, only a fair weather fan. I know the pats are a team that people don't like, but I am not a fan of any team.

Do you realize that Kapernick actually consulted with active military members and veterans before starting his protest? That MANY active military personnel and veterans agree with his methods? That we have the constitutional right to peacefully protest in this country?

Well, the score 10-3 with "no" right now. I think a few of you have treated me unfairly. I am not a racist. I think, to be a nation, we have to all have something in common. The kneeling is disrespecting all the soldiers that have fought and died for this country.
Why couldn't Kaepernack just write his congressman, or a letter to the editor? I think he picked the wrong way to protest racial problems in this country.
One thing that would help this country and black people would be for black people to strop claiming they are victums all the time. Nobody alive in this country right now ever owned a slave.
If we need to repair slavery then what we really need to do is give this country back to the American Indians.
Of all the killing like 2 world wars, Korea, Viet Nam, the holocaust, the Iraq wars, the Crusades, the Muslim conquest of the Middle Ages; nothing compares to the millions if indigenous peoples murdered during the conquest of North and South America by France, England, and Spain (1492-1763).
Go to "Start Over" one of my Facebook pages for a real treat.

I like all three and I really don't like people that think that what we do to people of color in this country is fine with them. Disgusting racists one and all.

Wow..white male privilege much? You don't get shot at, your kids aren't being killed in the street because you are WHITE yet you are angry when someone protests brutal police killings of unarmed, innocent black men and boys going about their business. YOU ARE A WHITE SUPREMACIST RACIST.

Wow have you missed the point. Totally missed it. What the hell does the flag have to do with football. Military takes a knee for respect and you tell us football players cannot. However their message is equality in American. People who believe as you do should really read about American History and figure things out. Please give it a shot. We do need our citizens to be educated in reality

I don't watch football, never knew who he was until this was in the news, and never seek out brand name products because they have a brand name. That said, the protest is valid and free speech.

Not big on true patriotism, are ya?