Protests at football games & the quality of outrage

I know protesting the American flag at NFL football games thing makes some of you outraged. But I would ask that you set your knee-jerk moral outrage aside for a moment to consider some points.

First, I would ask that you please remember that we have history in this country. Protesting is built into the very character of the American mindset and history. Protesting always makes some people outraged because they do not want the status quo upset.

Secondly, there have been various degrees of patriotic observance over the course of years. A generation ago, it was illegal and deemed non-patriotic to wear the American flag on a hat, or a patch, or on any clothing. Now you can't swing a dead cat without some hillbilly stretching an image of the flag with his gut. Where's the outrage there?

Thirdly, The NFL and most teams have a morality contract clause, but they don't have a patriotic clause. Unless contractually barred by contract or team guidelines, they are private citizens and can act as they see fit. Some football players get away with all sorts of illegal/immoral stuff, but if they are great on-the-field players they are forgiven. Where's the outrage there?

I once raised the issue (in another forum) of Native Americans having the right to burn the flag, because of the wholesale genocide European Americans inflicted upon them. This opinion was castigated as liberal guilt; I was just recounting history, and bringing one of the two great American sins that are part of our collective past. --> Plenty of outrage directed at me for that one.

This outrage over one man dissing the flag due to his convictions smells of other ("uppity") issues to me. People conveniently forget about history, or re-write it to suit their worldviews. And there are plenty of professional outrage-pushers that will "Rush" to inflame these issues for ratings.

Protests are necessary to keep us true to our American core, and human truth. People don't protest because they're happy, and don't do it on a national forum unless they have righteous convictions. In this country, at this stage, it takes real courage to do what that young football players is doing. No matter what you think, to set himself up for the abuse he will endure takes a special sort of American spirit - the kind of fortitude that many dismiss as (at the very least) ingratitude or (at the very worst) treasonous.

Please remember your history and consider, in the great scheme of things, our right and obligation to protest is what started us down the path to greatness as a country. Our revolution makes it necessary to protest wrongs for the collective good. I know this flies in the face of radical individualism, but that's my take.