America: The land of the free and the home of the brave. A free country where citizens pay their respect by honoring the flag and standing during the national anthem.

We recognize all who have fought and served our country and we graciously honor them.

However, the San Francisco 49er’s quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, decided to take it upon himself to protest as he refused to stand during the national anthem Friday, Aug. 26 before San Francisco’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” said Kaepernick.

While some are coming to his defense, Kaepernick is also being vilified for taking a sit.

It is not the motivations behind the protest that is concerning, it is the action itself that is seen as disrespectful.

Families and friends of loved ones who are fighting overseas don’t want to see an NFL quarterback (who is supposed to be a role model) blatantly disrespecting our country.

Some say Kaepernick is whining, being a crybaby and just trying to get attention because his performance on the field is suffering,

It is no secret America is not perfect and there are changes that need to be made. Professional athletes stand on a great platform for igniting change, and I support that. But the bottom line is stand up and don’t disrespect the flag.