Free Because of the Brave

I ran across this picture from the recent Pre-Season Miami Dolphins game.

To me, it says so much in a brief moment of time.

The man who is standing and holding our country's Flag is a sailor in the United States Navy.

Since we are viewing him from behind, we cannot see his rate/rank, but for the sake of comparison, we'll use a Navy E-4/Petty Officer 3rd Class (PO3).

The average annual salary for a US Navy PO3 is $43,350.

This excludes other bonuses such as housing allowance, subsistence allowance, and hazardous duty pay.

Pay extra attention to the "Hazardous duty".

This man has taken an oath that could possibly cost him his life. He will do it to protect the men behind him, who are kneeling.

The men who are kneeling during our National Anthem are NFL football players. The average salary of an NFL Player, according to Forbes, is $2.1 Million Dollars.

While there is always the chance of major injury in a football game, there is very little chance someone will be actively shooting at you to take your life.

NFL Players take no oaths.

The players are kneeling to protest what they believe to be police brutality and racial injustice.

The sailor, being on duty and in uniform, may not protest anything. 

It is because of the sailor's service that the men who are kneeling during the National Anthem are able to protest without governmental or political repercussions.  It is their right to speak and signify their discontent.

It is also my right to not feed that animal. It is also my right to think that maybe Vince McMahon is crazy like the proverbial fox, and I can patiently wait until his new league comes out and simply watch football.

To my mind, guys who play ball for a living and make 100 times more a season than an average E-4 in the Military makes a year and deliberately disparaging that which should be sacred of every American is the height of hubris.

Men like the sailor have literally died for the Flag and Anthem.

If you must protest, wear a black stripe on your helmet, or put on some special sock, provided the NFL doesn't fine you for being out of uniform.

But keep the Flag and Anthem sacred.