So, it has become so much more. Most of my readers would know me as a Nascar writer. However, I am more than familiar with many sports. The NFL is one. And anyone who ever watches the NFL knows what has begun.

Last year, in light of an unfortunate event in which a Police officer was forced to do what no man wishes to do, a man died. He was a criminal. But, this sparked a reaction from Colin Kapernick, the San Francisco 49s quarterback. Kapernick took the attack as an act of racist violence, as the man was black. This lead to the unprecedented event of Kapernick refusing to stand for the national anthem.

How does this relate to Nascar, and why am I writing about it? I’ll get there. Kapernick’s actions have spurred multiple other player to follow his lead. Then, in the past week, President Donald Trump publicly stated his opinion on the matter. I’m not one for language, so I’ll give you the general idea. He said that he would love to see a team owner look at a player who is kneeling and say “Get him out of here! He’s fired! Fired!”

In response, three teams refused to even leave the locker room during the anthem of their games, and countless other players either locked arms or kneeled during the anthem.

Now, here is the connection to Nascar. As one of the most popular sports in America, and one with some of the deepest American roots, the sport is one which the protests where bound to become a topic for discussion. Well, that discussion has begun.

Nascar itself has seemingly attempted to remain neutral. While it has not openly condemned the action of kneeling during the anthem, they have not called out their support of it either. And in my opinion, they should probably just stay out of this. For an entire sport to openly declare support for or against this issue would lead to countless issues, none of which we need.

However, the drivers and team owners have not been silent. Team owner Richard Childress has come out to say that any driver of his who kneeled during the anthem would not be getting into their car, and would fin themselves ‘”on the greyhound bus.”‘ Team owner Richard Petty, who has been in Nascar since it’s beginning, openly said that any employee of his who was seen kneeling during the anthem would be fired.

However, Petty and Childress’ view on the subject is not shared by all Dale Earnhardt Jr., for the first time in his life, has some fans who are glad to see him retiring. He recently tweeted out a quote of John F. Kennedy, supporting the actions taken by the NFL players. Probably the first time in his life he wasn’t popular.

So, what to do with this? Well, I’m no politician. But maybe that’s a good thing. I have a ‘from the bottom up’ perspective on this. It comes as little surprise to me that many Nascar fans, drivers, and owners have stood on the side of Trump. As sport, it has always been very supportive of America and our troops, and thus our anthem. The belief is simply that by refusing to honor our flag and anthem, you are openly declaring your division from your country.

Then look at it from the Kapernick view. A man was killed, and he was black. You kneel to protest this, and people begin to follow. You see what you think is an issue, which others agree with you on. So you start a movement, But you don’t consider the fact that you are on the largest platform in America, and our in essence doing the very thing you are trying to stop: dividing the country. And then the president himself comes out, and says that those who are following this do not deserve to be where they are, and deserve to be fired form their positions.

What now? Two of the largest sports in America, both with ties that continue to spread, have a very real issue on their hands. An issue that is to big for one man to end. But it all was started by one man. I can’t speak for everyone. I don’t know everything. But I know what my stance as an American is.

America was founded when 13 territories looked at each other, and saw that heir only path to freedom was to unite and drive out a common enemy. Through that, they formed the United States, which stands to this day. Years later, in a war with the same country, a man witnessed a battle, and saw at the end of it that our flag still flew high above fortress being fought over. He put his thoughts to words, words which honor our country and those who have died for it. Now, there is an issue. People are angry because of this issue. And their way of showing it is by kneeling when that song is played, rather than saluting the symbol which unites us all. Those men, who every week go out, play a game, win millions of dollars, are protesting something which they are not truly effected by. They want to protest something? How about they protest the fact that every year hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of brave men and women do not come home from overseas. They do not see their families. Their friends. Theirs homes. Even their unborn children. They die, so that we can proudly stand and salute our flag, and say: ‘I’m proud to be an American.’ They die in horrible, painful, miserable ways, so that we can be safe. And the people we recognize as celebrities are the men who kneel in disrespect as our anthem plays.

That is my message to you. Stand tall. Stand proud. We have all enjoyed lives which so many have only dreamed of. We are privileged. And those players who are kneeling are more privileged than most of us. Yet they choose to disrespect out anthem, and thus the sacrifices made for it. Stand for the anthem my fellow Americans. Because it has bled, died, and stood for you.