Black guy here; hoping to bring some sense of logic and reason to the melt on both sides.

1. I blame ESPN and the media for blowing everything out of proportion in the first place. Instead of making these protests about the broken criminal justice system. Along with the feeling amongst many minorities that the flag that is supposed to represent a ideal of liberty and justice for all, and many feel that progress on those issues for minorities haven't been made like they should have 50 years after the peak of the civil rights movement. The media decided to make it about disrespecting the flag; which makes no sense because the flag also represents free speech and the ability to criticize the society that the flag flies over.

2. People opposed to the protests to the point of NFL Boycotts or supporting the firing of protesting players don't seem to understand that the players are not trying to disrespect the flag. They are trying to start a conversation about what the flag represents and if our society is truly holding itself up to those ideals.

3. The conversation will never happen as long as people in the media and the President continue to divide the country by making the conversation about the flag; and not mass incarceration or the prevalence of police brutality. I can promise you that the players protesting love this country; and only want to see the country come to terms with an ugly past that we've yet to truly have a civil and honest discussion about.

I know I'm not changing minds, I just wanted to clarify some things. People seem to be confused as to why people are even protesting.