Selective indignation
Much has been said and written lately about the decision by San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick not to stand during the national anthem, for which he has received much criticism, including death threats.
Observer-Reporter columnist John Steigerwald has said Kaepernick should “get lost” and a recent letter to the newspaper by Charlie Sears said he should be punished for breaking the law. Sears points to the United States Code, which specifies what people should do during the national anthem.
In addition to standing, the law says, in part, “Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at their left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.” I suspect there are thousands of men at football and baseball games on any given weekend who don’t remove their hats when the anthem is played out of ignorance, they don’t care, or maybe out of protest.
If Kapernick should be punished for breaking the law, so should they. It’s the old double standard which we perpetuate through our selective indignation.
Bob Willison
Rices Landing