CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A football team composed of 8-year-old boys kneeled as the national anthem played before their game outside of St. Louis last week. The boys also turned their backs to the American flag on display, although Coach Orlando Gooden later said his players didn't turn their backs on purpose.
I was struck by the reasoning of one of the boys, who supposedly told Gooden why he chose to take a knee. He apparently wanted to emulate the actions of Colin Kaepernick, a former NFL quarterback and noted social activist. He also said he wanted to make a public statement about violence.