Dolphins must stop disrespecting our flag

I am named after my uncle who was killed serving his country in WWII. He was killed solely for the flag he represented and country he defended. I also have family members and very close friends killed in the line of duty, upholding the constitution as cops.

The flag has nothing to do with protesting police brutality; real or perceived. It’s the equivalent of protesting Martin Luther King Day because a family member was robbed by a black guy. One thing has nothing to do with the other.

I have spent 30 years as a cop and will retire in a little more than a year and have never seen so much completely unjustified disrespect towards the profession. Of course there are individual cases of police brutality that shouldnever be condoned, but these isolated cases do not reflect upon the entire profession or country.

The two groups in America that are most unfairly tainted by the actions of a few from their respective groups are those of the police and those in inner-city black neighborhoods. The overwhelming majority of cops are very professional — true public servants, risking their lives to protect strangers, and most of all, are human. Remember, cops are people too.

Also, the same overwhelming majority of blacks in the inner cities are law abiding, respectful of cops, and only want the best for their families and communities. To compare these spoiled millionaires to true civil rights sports heroes like Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali or Jackie Robinson diminishes the civil rights era and the heroic actions of these great men.

But because I took an oath to uphold the constitution I say they all have a right to protest in any manner they see fit. I will exercise that same right by not watching any game until they stop the disrespect to my dead family members, friends and colleagues from the military and law enforcement.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 12:52 AM with the headline "Dolphins must stop disrespecting our flag."