Freedom Alliance petitioned NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to put an end to the national anthem protests by players, and now its asking the public to do the same.
Freedom president Tom Kilgannon followed up his letter of Sept. 6 to the commissioner with another Tuesday, this time asking Americans to join the call to the NFL to ban the multiple players protests, calling them an insult to uniformed military personnel.
"The NFL's opening weekend included too many instances of anti-American sentiment," Kilgannon wrote, "and only the Commissioner can put an end to it. These protests reflect poorly on the League he leads as they are being carried out by members of the NFL, who are wearing NFL uniforms, and protesting on an area of the field that is restricted to NFL personnel."
Freedom Alliance has awarded more than $10 million in scholarships to children of military personnel.
"It is simply not right," Kilgannon wrote. "For the NFL to invite young Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to games to enhance the game-day experience and then permit NFL personnel to insult them and the country they serve. It is not right for the NFL to endorse sentiments which encourage anger and resentment against an entire country.
Commissioner Goodell has the authority to correct the situation, and should do so. The ball is in his court."
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the trend, refusing to stand — kneeling instead — for the national anthem in preseason games in protest of deaths of black men in police-involved shootings.
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