Theft: sitting during the national anthem

“There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft… When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.”

From “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseni

Kaepernick took the opportunity provided by the NFL to air his personal beliefs.   Employers pay him to play football for the purposes of entertainment.  The public and the media feel uncomfortable with Kaepernick’s action and have failed to see his theft.

The intellectually challenged may claim the right to free speech.   But yelling “Fire!” in a crowed movie theater is not permitted.  The NFL has the right to set the rules and to stop exploitation of their entertainment stage for personal use.

The NFL created rules against “taunting” and “excessive celebration” in response to players acting out on the field.  Penalties include both fines, yardage loss and even suspension.   It’s time that the use of NFL air time to make personal statements by NFL members be considered for what it is: Theft