Priorities

Here are three events which have made news recently:

1. Widespread incidents of police brutality and use of excessive --- sometimes lethal --- force toward Americans of color (no less disturbing is a similar pattern of police abuse of the disabled).
2. The President publicly condemned Americans engaging in peaceful protest, saying that if an employer sees one of their employees exercises their First Amendment rights in this way, then they should fire the "son of a bitch".
3. Multiple NFL players have chosen to kneel during the playing of the national anthem before games, in protest of the aforementioned widespread incidents of police brutality.

Now, no one will fault you for being upset about any of these things.  In fact, it's fair to say we all should be upset by all of them.

But if the thing that upsets you the most is item (3), then I respectfully suggest that you step back and take some time to seriously reconsider your priorities.

Especially considering that NFL players kneeling during the national anthem is hardly our nation's most pressing priority at the moment.  Police brutality is higher priority, as is the latest Republican attempt to set the individual health care market on fire (call you Senator: 202-224-3121).  Oh yes, and then there's the small detail that more than 3 million Americans are trying to rebuild their lives in 19th-century conditions in the aftermath of hurricane Maria.

For a good discussion about what matters and what doesn't when it comes to the NFL and the national anthem, see Martin Longman.