I only kneel for the Lord

By Kim Roberts

What a tumultuous world we are living in – the coronavirus, social distancing, riots, tropical storms, so many things weighing on us and our children. It is hard for an adult to work through the tensions, much less trying to keep their children informed and calm.

We have always tried to have open conversations with our children. We don’t always see eye to eye or agree, but we listen to one another.

We are a proud military family, my husband is a Marine who served in Desert Storm; my grandfather was awarded a purple heart in WWII, and we’ve had a family member serve in every war fighting for our country.

We’ve had discussions at our home about some NFL players kneeling during America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” And, I have to admit, my husband did not watch football one season because of kneeling during our country’s anthem.

We have always said, we will only kneel for the Lord. I still stand by that.

I support protests and know that everyone deserves to be treated equal – I would never tell someone not to peacefully protest for what they believe. And, as much as I hate to say this, kneeling during the national anthem is divisive and disrespectful to those who served in the military.

There is a surge of pride among my family when we hear the anthem. At times, it brings tears to my eyes thinking of all that my family has sacrificed for this country.

People have the right to protest, to have different opinions, to live in a free country. Just as I want to hear and understand the protestors, I expect the same respect for my opinions and beliefs.

We have tried to raise our kids to do better, be better and be kind to everyone as well as respecting the military and their country. I won’t apologize for not agreeing with kneeling during the national anthem. I also won’t demonize those that don’t understand my stance.

We need to find some common ground, while being respectful of each other and learning to live together in America.