My take on the overall issue:
The kneeling has to do with bringing awareness of police brutality (and unfair treatment, profiling etc...) against minorities in the US.
I get that.
There is total awareness every time this happens (cop kills a minority) whether or not the cop was justified or not is outside the scope of the points I am trying to make here.
The awareness is all over the press, riots, coverage on TV. Kneeling on TV during the national anthem is not really adding anything more than shít to talk about.
NFL players kneeling adds zero value except to dictate "we support this side" - does NOT add awareness, the awareness already exists, it's hard not to. I live in South America and I am aware.
NFL players have the right to the 1st amendment as do all Americans. They have the right to exercise their first amendment rights.
But there is a time and a place to do so. Using their right on the NFL field is LAZY, thoughtless, attention grabbing and self serving.
NFL players have the Walter Payton award every year also they are usually active with the United Way and other charitable means where there really do make a difference – off the field.
If they want to bring awareness they can speak to the press off the field, support the movement, write, blog, tweet, interview etc... there are PLENTY of avenues where freedom of speech and a support of a cause will make much more of a difference - instead of soiling your place of work for absolutely no gain.
Most large corporations do not even allow employees to even wear shirts on dress down days that contain written words, any words are also forbidden.
Corporations do not want their employees causing a stink that might be an alternative viewpoint. This has been in effect since the 1980s, before the great divide between left and right.
Express your 1st amendment rights on your own time - you've earned it.
Don't protest the whole country, our rights, our constitution, our history, our armed forces, all the good we do (yeah we do bad too) because of some bad cops.
Lastly the reason we have so many bad cops is because of a Catch 22 scenario. We pay them too little and really good potential cops do not take the job for such little pay – they go into other careers. Why lay your life on the line for 60,80,100K a year? Even with good benies and pension? Only to be shot at and potentially lose your life.
You are left with a good deal of dimwits and reckless Rambos and therein lies the genesis of corruption and bad behavior in law enforcement.
Cops, doctors and teachers should be the highest paid jobs outside of private business owners.
JMHO