Protesting athletes should try politics

Recently we have seen some professional athletes disrespecting our flag and national anthem. They say they are doing so to bring attention to racism and inequality in our justice system.

My father was an avid raccoon hunter and he would use a phrase common in his day: “They are barking up the wrong tree.”

The athletes are criticizing the wrong party. The flag and anthem are symbols of our constitutional form of government. It provides exactly what they seek. All men are created equal and are invested with unalienable rights. It can be changed but would be hard to do. The Founding Fathers did this intentionally.

The U.S. Constitution is the solid foundation of our way of life. Without it, the freedom and liberty we enjoy would be changed with every presidential election. The athletes should be praising the constitution and its symbols with vigor.

The athletes think our laws are not uniformly applied to all segments of our society and that those segments do not have the same career options. I think this is true.

This problem is more prevalent in larger urban areas in our major cities. If that is true, then the problem is political. The solution is to get involved in the political process and vote out those who don’t follow the constitution.

The problem exists at all levels of government. Bark up the right tree!

Bob Hanlin Lewis Center