re: Why do you really care about the “anthem kneelers”

Really it's about control. Some white people really want to control what black people say, when they can speak and what they are allowed to say. Anything other than full control enrages certain white people.

If someone wants to kneel during the anthem to make a statement about the institutional treatment of black citizens, I understand what message they are sending. It doesn't offend or threaten me.

But man, a lot of white people feel like they have the right to control the black people and their message. They say stupid shite like, "They are disrespecting the flag." No they aren't. I've never heard a kneeler say that they are disrespecting the flag. That's a white person spinning and changing what the kneelers are saying to exert their self-assumed right to declare what the black people are saying, to change the message to make it illegitimate. It's a pathology.

The kneelers are simply kneeling to express their own message about what they consider to be their grievance regarding race treatment. They aren't being disruptive or disrespectful. White people need to lighten up and maybe listen once in a while.