Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

The NFL season is in full swing and the discussion revolves around players who are sitting down during the national anthem. The protest is over racial injustice and several TV and radio personalities are coming to the players defense. Of course, every American, including NFL players have a right to protest the national anthem. But the offended have a right to not watch a game. Such protest is part of our liberty .. which brings us to a larger question: if NFL players have the right to protest the national anthem, then why don’t other Americans have the right to exercise their conscience when it comes to religious beliefs about sexuality or marriage? In order to be consistent, media making a First Amendment case for ballplayer protests should at least stand up for Christian charities, schools, and businesses operating according to their conscience.