The luxury of distinguishing racism vs patriotism is usually had by those who are not the target of racism...much like those who make comments and laws about people who have been raped when they have not been subjected to the violence of loss of choice and who have not experienced it themselves or those who make comments about domestic violence when they have never been physically assaulted by someone they love.
~Chief Xi
I know I am a bit late on this debate, but I still wanted to give my two cents since I have this platform. Let me preface this by saying that I am a combat vet of the us army, so I am not stranger to putting my words into action in protection of my country and my people.
The racism that permeates this continent of North America is not going to be changed by kneeling, standing, sitting or anything else for a song and a flag. It is beyond amazing that people are getting so upset about it. The people who choose to kneel have a unique experience of racism that others don't. Just because someone made fun of you because you got fat is not the same as racism. No you don't understand it because you don't have to, so you tend to tell those who your forefathers murdered, stole from and took as prisoners of war, how to feel.
Listen very closely: Racism won't be stopped because you kneel. Racism won't be stopped if you burn a flag or take down a statue, after all they took down all of our original depictions of our Ancestors (you can find them in the library of congress, museums and the vatican) and what has that done? Nothing.
So the next time you get upset because someone kneels, or the next time you get upset because someone does not stand...take a breath and realize...its a song and its a flag. I fought for it so...no worries!!!!