I'm aware some have taken great offense when athletes and others choose to kneel before the flag during the performance of our national anthem.
Our nation's flag and anthem are sacred, so it's understandable people feel strongly about what behaviors are or are not undertaken during its performance. (Personally, I find it extremely irritating when people clap and cheer before the anthem is complete.)
One act which perhaps equals the solemnity of our national anthem, and in which many routinely participate, is prayer to God. With regard to the act of prayer, I have seen individuals kneel, stand or assume a variety of other postures, and I have never had any reason to believe one was more sincere in their devotion than another simply based on which position they choose.
I can see nothing inherently disrespectful about kneeling. On the contrary, it suggests to me an act of respect, humility and contrition (all qualities distinctly lacking in contemporary politics and discourse).
What's more, I realize that what kneeling before the flag means to me may differ greatly from what it means to another. I would therefore suggest that, instead of trying to judge the thoughts and intents of those who choose to kneel before the flag, we instead focus our attention and efforts on how we ourselves are living up to the ideals that the flag represents, lest whatever position we choose (kneeling or standing) be nothing more than an empty gesture.
Dustin Armstrong, Cottonwood Heights
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