Below the surface

Memorial Day has passed. Millions of Americans celebrated those who served and sacrificed for the country. Flags waved. Taps was played. Speeches glorified.

It is an important American holiday.

It pays tribute to those who have played such a vital role in protecting the country and for all it stands.

Accolades and praise are just part of the holiday. Underlying it all are some very important principles that sometimes get overlooked.

A current controversy is a good example.

The National Football League franchise owners recently declared that no player is to take a knee or show any signs of protest during the pre-game renditions of the national anthem. The league has ruled if players will not stand respectfully during the anthem, they will have to stay off the field until it is over.

This all stems from when Colin Kaepernick and others refused to stand during the anthem. The point for them was to bring attention to social and racial injustice in the country.

The country was immediately split. Protests erupted over the protests themselves. Some fans declared they would not ever again watch an NFL game.

Then, the controversy reignited with the recent NFL decision. President Donald Trump weighed in, stating that if the players cannot stand proudly during the anthem perhaps they should not live in this country.

Disrespect towards the country and the flag is disturbing.

Yet, was this disrespect or was it in the tradition of free speech and free expression?

Those with a public persona often take on political causes. They have a platform that few others have. Some use it freely.

Social injustice and lack of equality are problems perceived by many in this country. The protests by Kaepernick and others highlighted this problem, but rather than bring the problem into the full light of day, they brought on personal attacks, attacks on the patriotism of the protesters and attacks on both sides of the issue. There were those who applauded the protests and those who claimed them to be treasonous.

America has changed and in many respects grown because of grassroots disenchantment and eventual groundswell movements. It is part and parcel of the freedom of expression that is so important to this country.

This is also part and parcel of why Memorial Day is so important. It celebrates the sacrifices of those who fought to protect the country. Its tenets and basic values cannot be matched. These are fundamental reasons for which veterans have fought and died.

One of those values is the freedom for non-violent activism.

It must be respected.

Ideas can certainly be debated. Protests can be protested, but it is the ideas that need to be scrutinized, not the people expressing them.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher