YOU ARE YOUR COUNTRY ANON!

The United States is composed of each of us (US citizenry), it is only a thing because we will it to be a thing and participate in its continuance.

The US is only as good or bad as what it is composed of (citizens).

Therefore it is incumbent upon each individual citizen to do their part in making it good (active participation), which, in the simplest case, can be as little as simply being a good person that does good as able while providing aid to their family friends and maintaining that ability by working and being responsible/moral/useful non-burden on society (literally a full time job in and of itself).

The anthem is a unifying song/symbol that is a part of engaging in that responsibility by acknowledging you are a part of the whole, in that you are a citizen/individual that IS the fundamental element composing the whole.

In essence, the anthem is both a symbol of the US as a whole and each and every individual it is composed of, regardless of race, sex, political affiliation or any other individual attribute.

By protesting DURING the anthem, you are protesting the very concept that you are a part of the whole, that is, you stand apart from what the symbol represents and saying (regardless of your intended message) that you stand (in this case kneel) apart from the whole, that is you take no responsibility for carrying the burden of citizenry.

Standing with hand over heart during the anthem means you recognize that you are your country.

Simply stated, by protesting during the anthem, which IS protesting the anthem, you are protesting the thing the anthem represents…which is YOU.

Patriotism, definition: love for or devotion to one's country.

Love has many definitions and contexts, but the one relevant here is the unselfish loyalty and concern for the good of another.

If you do not have the capacity to love yourself, how can you love your country, let alone the other citizens you are standing (kneeling) apart from.

All other issues are irrelevant to this core concept and speaks to the heart of why the act of kneeling during the anthem is unpatriotic.