As a disabled military veteran and a woman of colour, I support Colin Kaepernick's choice not to stand for our national anthem

Colin Kaepernick quarterback on the San Francisco 49ers, made a decision to exercise his right to peaceful protest by sitting during the National Anthem of the United States during the opening moments of a game on Thursday, 25 August and brought about the wrath of many in the US upon his head. To paraphrase his words, he sat to protest the maltreatment of people of colour in America, racial injustice, police brutality, and ongoing inequality and the failure of America to live up to its promise for liberty and justice for all. He made a decision to choose the largest platform he could find to utilise his celebrity status in attempt to spotlight these issues.

He is now facing a major backlash from those who are unwilling to empathise with his experience and the experiences of a large number of American citizens.

Herein lies my dilemma: many critics are crying out for his punishment because they claim his actions are disrespectful to US military veterans. I am a disabled military veteran who served proudly and honourably in the United States Air Force from 1997 until 2003.

After hearing of number seven’s choice to protest, I was immediately struck by the number of people citing the service of veterans to support their condemnation of the player. Although I do not claim to speak for all veterans, I will speak for myself and the many veterans that I have personally conversed about on this issue. Our conclusion: Colin Kaepernick has the right to sit if he so chooses and his protest has not disrespected nor offended us as military veterans.

The oath that all military members take begins, “I (name) do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…” These words sing to my heart every time I hear them, because I believe in the freedoms that the US Constitution promises, as well as the sacrifices made by my brothers and sisters in arms to protect these freedoms. Within this great constitution exists the First Amendment, which among other things protects an individual’s right to peaceful assembly, as well as their ability to petition for a government redress of grievances. I stalwartly believe in all American’s right, Kaepernick included, to exercise their First Amendment rights. I cannot and will not pick and choose whose rights are protected; that is a tool of oppression, not freedom. By the way, the flag and the national anthem are not mentioned in that oath. However, I respect the ideals that they stand for, but we must ensure that they symbolise the same thing for all Americans before passing judgement.

The cost of these constitutional rights is steep and all you have to do is take a long, hard look at Arlington National Cemetery and the many other veterans’ cemeteries across the country to see the cost. Consider the plight of the 22 veterans who commit suicide every day. Visit a veteran’s home, homeless shelter, or a Veteran’s Affairs hospital to see the lives dedicated to the service and protection of these rights. Please do not utilise my service or any other veteran’s sacrifices to voice your individual beliefs or to oppress the rights of another. If you do not agree with an individual’s utilisation of their individual rights, speak only for yourself. After all, I took an oath to protect freedom of speech for you as well. If you care about veterans that much, utilise your rights to serve and protect them as well as they have served you. Fight for mental and physical health benefits, higher pay for military, support their families, and spend less time using them for convenient punditry.

Remember that many veterans have sadly been excluded from the respect that those who claim to be outraged are calling for. Numerous veterans of all races have historically returned home to less than warm welcomes. Black veterans in this country were excluded from the very G.I. Bill benefits that were considered standard for white veterans at the inception of the program. Black veterans have not been spared from brutality at the hands of the few police officers who violate their oath to protect and serve, because when the uniform is shed, their skin is still not white.

This problem is at the root of Kaepernick’s protest and the experiences of many Americans, even many black American veterans, myself included. Examining broken policies and the deep rooted disease of racism makes our country better and stronger. Do not be fooled into believing that you must choose between justice for the victim or the valour of the police. They are synonymous, everyone benefits from recognition, change, and healing. The flag and the anthem are symbols and unless you are exercising your voice to ensure these symbols are not used as pomp, but rather represent the actual circumstance for all Americans you are contributing to the problem. Look within; I know I do every day. Until then, I am a #veteranforkaepernick and stand for the protection and utilisation of the constitutional rights for all Americans.