Active Military Members and Veterans Express Support for Kaepernick’s Right to Protest

Since Colin Kaepernick's silent protest of the national anthem became a national topic, the overwhelming sentiment of those who are in opposition to his protest is that it is disrespectful to members of the United States Armed Forces.

Monday morning on Mike & Mike, ESPN's nationally syndicated morning sports talk show, the two co-hosts, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, revealed that the reaction that they have received on Twitter from active members of the military and veterans stands in contrast to the perception of many in the general public. The Mike & Mike official Twitter page boasts over 1.2 million followers.

"Of the tweets that we're getting from military and former military people," Golic reports, "definitely the majority are saying he has every right to do what he's doing, and that's exactly what we fought for. You may not like it, but he has every right to do that."

Greenberg adds, "I've got sheets and sheets and sheets of tweets from people who say they are military members currently serving or formerly serving who support Kaepernick's right to do what he did."

Greenberg then responds directly to a tweeter who asserts that no matter what Kaepernick's intentions were, his protest was, in fact, disrespectful to all military personnel who have served in the armed forces.

"What I would say in response to that particular tweeter is, you may feel that way, but don't say it's a fact that he's disrespecting [the military], because I've got tons and tons of people who would disagree with you who have served [in the military], and that, I think, is an important distinction."

Kaepernick, for his part, has attempted to clarify that his stance is not anti-military, and that military veterans suffer from some of the same injustices that he is protesting against.

"I have great respect for men and women that have fought for this country," said Kaepernick. "I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. I've seen circumstances where men and women that have been in the military have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought for and have been murdered by the country they fought for, on our land. That's not right."