Not asking for much
We are not asking the NFL players to lead an assault off a landing craft at Normandy where their chance of survival is less than 30 percent. We are not asking them to live a single day as a POW — starved, beaten and tortured. We are not asking them to step on an IED and have their legs and arms torn from their body. We are asking them to stand in respect for less than two minutes for the thousands of men and women who have the courage to do it for you.
The national anthem is an inappropriate tool to use to make your political statements. It’s like the man who goes home from work and hits his wife and kicks the dog because he had a bad day.
In the 1970s, civilians spit on me because I wore our country’s uniform. I turned the other cheek and walked away. Not this time. These players are spitting on my anthem and my flag and I take offense. They say they have the right to disrespect our anthem, flag and country. I have the right to take offense when they disrespect our flag and country.
Our freedoms were purchased with an ocean of blood, arms, legs and souls. They are unworthy of this huge sacrifice.
Canada already has a football league. The NFL players can start a league in Cuba and Mexico, then let me know how they like the living conditions and personal rights.
Doug Boob, Spring Mills
The writer is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
This story was originally published September 27, 2017 at 7:31 PM with the headline "Not asking for much."