admin
Colin Kaepernick’s latest broadside landed like a provocation dressed up as opinion when he told comedian Adam Friedland that “The Star-Spangled Banner” is “a bad song” during a recent podcast appearance, a remark that is certain to inflame the same debate his kneeling started a decade ago. Americans who respect the flag and the men and women who defend it heard that line as an unnecessary swipe at a symbol that unites us in times of grief and triumph.
The comments came as Kaepernick was out promoting his new memoir, Perilous Fight, part of a media tour meant to recast his narrative and keep his brand of grievance at the center of attention. Whether one agrees with his politics or not, using national airtime to call the anthem “wack” is a transparent bid for headlines rather than a reasoned critique of policy or policing.
Let’s not forget the context: Kaepernick’s kneeling in 2016 was a political stunt that cost him his NFL career, and he has not played in the league since 2017. The pattern is familiar — an act of protest, endless media spin, and then more provocation designed to keep him relevant while many Americans move on to real problems like failing schools and an open border.
On Newsmax’s American Agenda, Super Bowl champion Tyrone Poole and women’s sports advocate Sophia Lorey did what sensible Americans should do: call out the disrespect and defend the symbols that bind our country together. Lorey’s blunt reminder — “You can love America or you can leave it” — speaks for millions who sacrifice daily for this nation and will not tolerate cheap jabs at its heritage from a paid provocateur.
This isn’t merely about taste in music; it’s about judgment and allegiance. Kaepernick’s remarks, coming from a man who still plays the victim on every platform he can find, read less like honest critique and more like performative rejection of the country that made his fame and fortune possible. Patriots aren’t opposed to debate, but there’s a difference between principled dissent and continual denigration that serves only to inflame.
Americans who have worn the uniform and raised families here deserve better than predictable outrage tours that sell books and attention by tearing down our shared rituals. Media outlets and advertisers should ask whether they want to bankroll nostalgia-bait and resentment or lift voices that actually strengthen civic pride and community. No one is asking for blind agreement; we’re asking for respect — especially when the subject is the flag and the anthem so many gave everything to protect.
Hardworking Americans know what loyalty to country looks like: showing up, putting neighbors first, and teaching the next generation to honor liberty while fixing its flaws. If you choose to critique America, do it with constructive solutions; if you prefer perpetual assault, don’t be surprised when your message meets a wall of decent, proud citizens who will always stand for the flag.
