Sitting During the National Anthem

Sitting during the national anthem has been a major topic over the last few weeks and I am wondering what everyone else's thoughts and feelings on this topic are. It started with Colin Kaepernick (plays for the San Francisco 49ers), he sat during the national anthem, first during preseason games and has continued to do it since. When he was interviewed about his actions he said it was a silent protest to show support for people of color who are being oppressed in the United States and to particularly take a stand against police brutality. He said, "I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color". Since Kaepernick did this in mid-August, many other NFL players on his team and other teams have followed suit by sitting or kneeling during the national anthem. This has even gone as far as reaching high schools and colleges where their athletes are doing the same. I agree that there is a problem that should be addressed and I can understand how Kaepernick is using his celebrity power to draw attention to the issue but I can't decide if I think it is okay or the right way to go about protesting. It definitely should be a peaceful doing to get the point across in the right way, but I also see it from the other side where people died for his right to sit or stand during the national anthem and he is disrespecting that. It mostly bothered me that on 9/11, there were multiple teams who had players kneel during the national anthem and that to me was completely distasteful on that day of all days. I am just curious what other opinions you all have on the subject because I really have gone back and forth on which side I agree with and can see it from both. It is sending the message he wants to send but it is also disrespecting a lot of people in the process. Some players who have chosen to kneel or sit have lost sponsorship because of their actions and one player in particular, Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos) lost his. He lost his sponsorship with Century Link credit union because they said that although they do acknowledge Brandon's right to sit, they also believe that whatever issues we face, we must stand together to show allegiance to our common bond as a nation for certain things; in this case, the national anthem. It is drawing a huge divide and I am wondering if that is going to only make the problem worse.