The flag

Brees has apologized. So y’all can forgive the man. Drew just did what most of white American has done: “missed the mark.” At least he’s acknowledges that and unlike some others, he agrees a change is needed. He’s oblivious as it relates to being black in American as evidenced in his strong cry about the military and flag and etc... and couldn’t see it had nothing to do with the flag. I agree with Malcolm as Drew pointed to his grandfather military service... My father served in the army and participated in the Korean War. I applaud all veterans. However, the difference between the generations of people who looked like Drew’s people and my Dad and people who looked like him that served is this, one symbolic part of that flag is freedom. All those duties of service for people of color that fought for freedom and protection of that flag didn’t get that same freedom after that service was concluded. Fight together but only drink out of that “colored only” fountain. Fight together but eat outside in the back of the restaurant. Fight together but you can’t have any of this “white only” pie. Fight together but your kids can’t go to the same school with your white military colleagues. Fight together but even though we had the 15th amendment, it took the voters act of 1965 to grant people of color the ability to vote. Sit together during service but if y’all ride a bus after service, you gotta sit at the back of the bus. This country was founded on protests. Colonist said to Britain, “no taxation without representation.” That same principle was needed to ratify the Constitution which ultimately led to the 3/5 Compromise that said every 5 slaves would be counted as 3 individuals. They still couldn’t vote but it helped states gain advantages as it related to legislative members which would be based on that population. The 3/5 compromise wasn’t designed to help the people of color. We had that same flag when one of the issues with our internal, Civil War, was slavery. Every victory was cemented with that flag being firmly planted to acknowledge the US reign supremacy. Do I stand for the flag? Yes I do! Am I a proud American? Yes! However, don’t give me a speech about how kneeling disrespects the flag. To me, the disrespect is the treatment of how people of color who fought for the protections of that flag were perceived long after that service and duty was fulfilled