Every time NFL players take a knee during the national anthem, they pierce the hearts of patriotic Americans and military families, including mine.
I absolutely love football and my Dallas Cowboys. No longer. I haven’t burned my Cowboys sweatshirt yet, but I am close, which would make my husband happy because he’s a Redskins fan. But, if mine goes, his goes too.
I love my country and my military veteran husband more. So, I’ve decided to replace my football-watching time doing more important things, like scooping up doggie-doo from the yard.
I even made up a game of it in honor of the guy who started this mess.
I call it “Kaepernick-Hole.”
My husband is handy, so I asked him to make a one-person corn hole box with Kaepernick’s face on it with a bucket inside. Now I can practice my aim with dog-doo.
I’m a decent shot when it comes to guns, but with doo, not so much. Not sure why, but it’s the first time in my life that I’m not upset if I miss the center.
Let’s be honest, the whole taking a knee fiasco during the national anthem has nothing to do with free speech or racism. If it were, crybaby millionaire NFL players would find another venue or some other moment outside of football to protest.
If I owned a team, I would tell my players it is their right to protest, but it’s my right to send them packing if they did it while in uniform.
This is really about butt-hurt leftists using the NFL as stooges to express their anger over Donald Trump’s presidency and Hillary Clinton’s loss.
The way I see it, if Hillary were president, the anti-America crowd would continue working quietly behind the scenes the way they did during the Obama years -- until damage to America was irreversible.
Hillary lost, so now they are coming out of the woodwork like cockroaches.
I’m going to say this as lovingly and gracefully as I know how, otherwise, I won’t be able to look my pastor in the eyes on Sunday:
Leave. Just leave, already.
Back when he still had a job in the NFL, Kaepernick protested about so-called “systematic oppression” wearing a Fidel Castro T-shirt and anti-cop “pig” socks.
Maybe it’s that Kaepernick’s been tackled or knocked out one time too many, but it seems he should know that Castro was one of the 20th Century’s worst oppressors.
If he moved to Cuba, he’d beg to come back. Anti-black racism is alive and well across the island. Anti-government “take-a-knee-ers” wouldn’t fare well either, in a communist regime where doctors make only $67.00 per month.
Maybe we could do a trade.
We could get a boatload of proud-to-be-American Cuban doctors and a few crates of cigars in exchange for Kaepernick’s $11.9 million 2016 base salary.
Seriously now, something’s got to give.
These protests are a symptom of a huge problem and it’s not racism.
There is a spiritual depravity overtaking the hearts and minds of people across this great nation.
If the fog were lifted from their eyes, they would understand how misguided it is to disrespect the national anthem which represents the most free and tolerant country on the planet.
Sure, we can always improve, but let’s be honest, America rocks.
The spoiled brat NFL protesters have no idea how blessed they are. If they really feel they need to kneel during a game, they should drop to their knees, before or after the national anthem, of course, to thank God for the blessing it is to be an American.
It’s almost kickoff time, so I’m signing off to enjoy some game playing of my own outside.

Susan Stamper Brown lives in Alaska and writes about culture, politics and current events. Contact her by Facebook or at writestamper@gmail.com.