The U.S. flag and national anthem are symbols of our Constitution.

The U.S. Constitution, above everything – above U.S. prosperity, above U.S. politics, above U.S. military might, above U.S. economic power, even above all the sacrosanct proverbial “apple pies” – is the real America.

The inherent power of this unique document is that it not only allows, but actually empowers, every expression of peaceful dissent. Through the free expression of peaceful dissent, much more than salutes, our Constitution truly shines. Through dissent we revere our constitution by freely exercising our unique rights, enshrined in it, to fearlessly challenge the status quo.

We respect and honor our military personnel as we respect and honor our teachers, doctors, first responders, scientists, farmers, students, factory workers and many others that make up our country. We all contribute in our unique ways to the vitality of this nation and we are all equal under our Constitution.

So, let no individual, or group, claim special rights to dictate to others what actions constitute dishonor of our constitution (or its symbols), especially when such actions involve peaceful – and I might add decent – expressions of dissent like taking a knee for couple of minutes before a game. By their action the knee-takers revere our unique Constitution no less than those who stand.

One is free to disagree with the intent behind the dissent, but it is un-American to demean its free expression under our Constitution.

– Sankar Ray