Unfortunately for Calcaterra, saluting the flag is not as political as turning one’s back on it, because the flag itself isn’t political. Rather, the flag stands for the American ideal, and while we can all disagree about how well we have lived up to the principles comprising that ideal, only extremists would decry the principles themselves. Kaepernick said he took a knee during the National Anthem as a gesture of solidarity for, and concern about, black Americans mistreated by police. His error was in conflating the actions of a few errant police officers with America itself. His protest was therefore rightly seen by many football fans as outrageous, a slander as indefensible as saying black Americans in general should be disrespected because of the criminal actions of a minority of blacks.

When Americans in positions of power mistreat blacks — and there is much such mistreatment to be concerned about — it is not a failure of American ideals but a failure to live up to them. The flag stands for, among other Constitutional principles, due process, equal protection under the law, and protection from unreasonable search and seizure. To the extent that police aren’t living up to these precepts, they need to be more American. But to say that the American flag represents oppression of minorities is fatuous. You might as well claim the Soviet flag represents great writing because Boris Pasternak lived under it.

Showing pride in the flag does not mean support for every political decision that’s ever been made in America, and how could it? We salute the flag when we like the occupant of the Oval Office, and we salute the flag when the president is someone we despise. We salute the flag regardless of what we think of America’s latest military action or the Supreme Court’s latest decision.