Those who ‘disrespect’ flag are also disrespecting the honor of those who died for country’s freedom

Editor:

Normandy (9,387), St. Mitnel (4,153), Ardennes (5,329), Brittany (4,410), Aisne (2,289), Epinal (5,525), Lorraine (10,489), Argonne (14,246), Oise-Aisne (6,012), Sicily (7,861), Florence (4,402), Netherlands (8,301), Henri-Chappelle (7,992).

These are just some of the cemeteries for American soldiers in Europe. Not mentioned are the great number of our honored military buried in other parts of the globe. (At home: Gettysburg (50,000), Civil War (700,000) One should also remember the great number of soldiers who suffered life-altering wounds of every kind and the suffering of the families of our dead and injured.

Space does not permit exposition of the many other times of conflict and challenge in our nation’s history.

When Americans of every color or ethnicity hear the national anthem, they stand in silent reverence because they respect and remember these valiant fellow Americans who made supreme sacrifice

for this country. They also honor our forbears who have given so much to make this country the sole exception that it is (even though [former President Barack] Obama never thought so – or understood it when he claimed other countries were also).

Colin Kaepernick was the leader of the (NFL) kneeling in protest while the anthem is played. Some of the athletes followed this man of questionable intellect considering his love of foreign ideology and hatred of police (a job he probably would not do even for one day, and neither would his followers). Most Americans are greatly offended by this manner of expression because they REMEMBER, as does President Trump, but apparently these athletes do not.

Certainly, the athletes have the freedom to express themselves, but one must wonder what muddled thinking made them choose the most divisive, inappropriate time and place to manifest their protest. The pampered, overpaid, single-talent (a talent critical to this country, of course) LeBron James is also clueless about what is divisive. They unwittingly demonstrated egregious disrespect not only to most living Americans but, more pointedly, to all those who have made the supreme sacrifice.

Patriots understand full well that those are not just ciphers cited above. They know, rather, that they are loved family and friends lost to us. Regrettably and disturbingly so, the athletes apparently just see numbers.

Sincerely, Sam Parente, Cranston