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Football, anthem disconnected

I have visited Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which inspired the national anthem during a naval bombardment by the British in The War of 1812. The national anthem is sung at the end of a short film and the flag is displayed. You won’t see a dry eye in the room.

On the other hand, a football game where mostly black players give each other traumatic brain injury and broken bones is not an appropriate venue for the singing of our national anthem and displaying of our flag. Football and respect for our flag have nothing in common. No American soldier has died or been injured in war so that a football game can begin with honoring the flag of our nation.

If you want to display nationalism, then fill the football stadium with people who attend with that purpose in mind. Look at a video of the Nazi rallies of the 1930’s, and you won’t find a single black person or a football. We saw lots of flags waving and crowds chanting over the greatness of the leader and the country. Their blind fanatical nationalism led to the destruction of their county and the death of millions of citizens.

Pete Scobby

Newport



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