Some years ago I attended a Native American Pow Wow and was pleased to learn there is an honoring of warriors, usually via a dance or song. This wasn't a symbolic honoring and it wasn't restricted to tribesmen. It was inclusive of all warriors, veterans and/or currently military servicemen, Native American or otherwise.

These warriors are invited to participate in the dance. If they decline, however, no one calls them disrespectful or shameful because they declined to dance or sing. Here is a group with significant cause to be intolerant, yet there's no judgment. No call to see them FIRED. No one crying out to see their lives made more difficult. No shaming anyone because they opted to not participate in a ceremony.

Right now we have concerned groups who see something wrong with our country. Whether we all see it or agree is inconsequential. They see it and that's what matters. To raise awareness of their concerns, some have chosen to take advantage of a platform of professional football games to increase visibility of their protests, protests which involve peacefully taking a knee during the National Anthem just prior to the start of a game.

And people are furious.

Rather than acknowledge the protestor's peaceful approaches or even discuss what is being protested, the furious congregation is criticizing them for the apparent lack of respect displayed. Initiated by either the protest's dissenters or the current POTUS, the #StandForTheAnthem train picks up more and more steam with each mention, share, and retweet.

Shaming tactics employed cite that not standing during the anthem is an embarrassing disrespect to Old Glory. When that fails, additional attempts invoke troop service and sacrifices, claiming that not standing is a slap in the face of every serviceman and woman to ever put on a uniform and spitting on the grave of those who gave their all and more.

Invoking the sacrifices of American veterans is bullshit for several reasons. Shaming a person into respecting the flag or the anthem is passive coercion. Obviously, not all people want to stand during the anthem, so the only thing being encouraged is false patriotism.

Also, enlisted personnel don't serve and die for a piece of fabric or a song that's only been recognized as our national anthem for less than a century, in case you didn't know. The oaths we swear are "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Nowhere does our oath of enlistment mention a flag or anthem.

Digressing for a moment, I want to point out that there are accepted codes of conduct regarding both the American Flag and the National Anthem. And nowhere is it specified that an individual "must" stand or that failure to stand is disrespectful. According to this code, there are other recommendations for which countless groups are guilty. Next time you see an American Flag bikini or t-shirt, let them have a piece of your mind.

Next time a store imprints a Flag on advertising material, make sure to inform a manager that this is in violation of the code.

Returning to my point, people act patriotically when they feel patriotic. Not everyone in this country is patriotic, which is fundamentally okay. Hell, Trump isn't especially patriotic if he believes America isn't great already. Any American citizen can feel disenchanted with the country and still be an American, and if an American chooses to stand tall and proud during the anthem, that's swell.

I'd like to have that same love of country and its people. Not everyone does, so some sit during the anthem and some kneel.

That's fine. Really, it is.

I've never once perceived it as disrespectful toward veterans, otherwise, I'd attack my family and friends who sit their asses on the couch at home during the anthem. Just because they choose not to stand doesn't mean they're dishonoring the flag, anthem, or service of the troops.

Don't go to their games. Don't buy their team's swag. Express your disagreement to your heart's content. You'll not hear my dissenting opinion on those points.

But I'll argue whether or not their actions are disrespectful. Also, as a veteran, I'll speak up for their right to stand, sit, or kneel. I'll further argue that to force anyone to embrace false patriotism is in the same ballpark as countries where freedom is not respected.

While I agree that professionals sports teams reserve the right to fire or ban any one of their athletes unless standing during the anthem is required per their contracts, the coaches/team owners have little recourse, I imagine. There's likely to be repercussions via disenchanted former fans boycotting games and merchandise, but there's nothing that legally stipulates one must stand during games. Sorry, Mr. President, but your Twitter tirade won't change anything, at least not for the foreseeable future.