WASHINGTON—In the wake of protests in which some players knelt during the national anthem prior to this week’s NFL games, a U.S. Army veteran has been informed that the acts offended him. “This behavior spits in the face of everything you fought for,” said friends, family members, co-workers, politicians, television pundits, newspaper columnists, and millions of social media users, notifying the 65-year-old who served two tours in the Vietnam War that the protests were a mockery of all the sacrifices he had made. “You didn’t risk your life so that a bunch of millionaires could grandstand about some social issues. When these players refuse to rise for the anthem, they’re trampling all over your legacy, so of course you’d be furious.” Upon stating that the protests saddened him but that he had fought for their right to take place, the veteran was informed that, while his service was appreciated, he just wasn’t getting it.
