Dolphin fan refuses to attend games

I have been a Miami Dolphins season ticket holder since I moved to Miami in 2012. As a loyal Fins fan, I have always supported the team and its players over the years and have never let the losing seasons or missed playoff appearance impact my loyalty.

On Sept. 11, that all changed. While watching the Dolphins opening season game against the Seattle Seahwaks with my two young boys, I was embarrassed to see four Miami Dolphins players kneel on one knee while the National Anthem was played. They chose to do this on Sept. 11, a day I will never forget, having witnessed much of the terror as a resident of New York City in 2001. The four players stood while President Obama's message played regarding the 15th anniversary of 9/11.

Though the U.S. Constitution gives the players the right to freedom of expression, which includes not standing for the National Anthem, that is not the issue. The issue is that their protest has no link to the perceived wrong. Protesting social injustice by not standing for the National Anthem does not fit. The United States and the flag do not stand for inequality, and racism is not a government policy.

These players are public role models to many people, including my children. They are representing the Miami Dolphins, its fans and the residents of South Florida. By supporting these players and their actions, the Dolphins organization is setting the wrong example. For the sake of my children, I will express my right to freedom of expression, too.

I will not be attending a Dolphins game until this type of disrespectful behavior ends, and if does not, I will cancel my season tickets. I encourage other Dolphins fans to do the same. The Dolphins organization should be embarrassed. While the players have a right to free speech, so do I.

This story was originally published September 18, 2016 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Dolphin fan refuses to attend games."