I’ve never understood how kneeling is disrespectful, hell of a lot more respectful than standing. Honestly a divided crowd is unlikely especially for Iowans, i just wonder how they expect us to kneel in Kinnick? I say we give them a big cheer when they do kneel but do it normal up top
To understand why it's disrespectful you have to understand what the flag and the national anthem means to a large percentage of America. The flag because a symbol for the idea of America, representing not just the 13 colonies and America as a nation, but the idea of republic governed democratically by the people and not under the control of America. It represents the great experiment of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed citizens individuals rights and established principles of self-governance. Before America, no similar form of government had ever been even attempted.
Later the flag came to represent the unity of America under a central government. Prior to the Civil War, people said the United States are because we really didn't have one country but a collection of affiliated states and territories. After the Civil War people said the United States is representing the birth of America as a single nation. In this context, America as we know it today, as one nation, was formed free of slavery.
It also came to represent those who died for the belief and idea of self-governance and even more so those who died to preserve the United States and reform America after the Civil War. It also would later come to symbolize those who died defending the world from fascism and communism.
The National Anthem is more than a song. It's a memorial for the men and women of all colors including slaves and free blacks who died holding Fort McHenry. They could have lived by simply lowering the flag and surrendering the fort. Instead hundreds died making sure that the flag continued to fly above the Fort. In fact, after the battle it was found that what kept the flag standing was the hundreds of bodies that fell around the base of the flagpole. Their bodies were literally holding the pole up by forming a barricade and keeping it erect.
Sousa who wrote the star-bangled banner watched the battle as a POW aboard a British ship that was shelling the fort.
The flag as a symbol has nothing to do with the police as police forces are governed by states or municipalities. Colin K kneels for the flag because he is a Marxist/Socialist who hates America and democracy.
America is not perfect but it was created a system to be changed so that it could constantly move towards something better. This is why the Declaration of Independence starts out with "in order to form a more perfect union".
The flag and the national anthem will always symbolize the dream of America and those who died trying to preserve the opportunity to move towards something exponentially greater.
To those who say it's a song and the flag is nothing but a close, you have no knowledge of history and no respect for the millions who have died for the flag. You spit on the graves of every soldier who ever died carrying the flag into battle to preserve or defend the country and deface the grave of the millions who have died of every race, religion, gender and color serving the flag.
Yes, in America it is your right to protest but don't try and belittle the beliefs of those who believe that the flag and the national anthem should be honored and not desecrated.
