Let's take a different approach to looking at the anthem protest. For one second ignore whether you agree or disagree with the platform they have chosen to take this knee for(I wanted to say stand for but that may lead to some confusion...). So, that leaves us to look at their cause. Im going to ignore all those who jumped in after the President spoke and look to the root cause: oppression of minorities.
Clearly this will resonate with minority populations. The desire is that you want less oppression. So I would venture to say, with some confidence, that although minorities will appreciate the voice that is not the target population for the message. Telling them they are oppressed will not increase or decrease the said oppression. So the intentions would be to reach out to the oppressors to create change. The oppressors then, would be the white people. Again, ignore whether you agree or disagree with that statement. In fact lets assume it is true.
So these players, with what they may genuinely think is a good cause, have chosen to speak out against the white oppressors. That is 100 percent appropriate for them to do. Some may disagree but even to kneel for the anthem and flag is 100 percent in their rights. However if change is truly their desire they overlooked one fatal flaw.
This oppressive white population whom they must make aware of their oppression hold the flag and anthem in very high regards. Whether their intentions are to smear the flag or just create talk. They will be met with massive oppositon even before the topic is discussed. You wouldn't want to start a discussion for change with Muslims by burning the Quran. It would not make sense. But in essence that is what they are doing.
They have effectively ended a discussion of oppression before it began because of their ignorance of the people whom they seek to change. Because to us the flag is not about Trump, or any president for that matter(notice how their was no uproar when Marshawn Lynch wore his everyone vs trump shirt, because no one cares what he thinks about Trump). To us, the flag and anthem represents those who risk and give everything for us to live in a free country(that lets you disrepect the leader, the flag, and for shame those who died to give you that right). To be fair they truly may not view it as disrepectful but we do. You are disrespecting them in our eyes and have ruined a chance to change our minds before presenting your case.