Standing or Sitting Alone is NOT a crime

Colin Kaepernick refused to stand and place his hand over his heart and show his allegiance to the playing of the National Anthem. For this he is feeling considerable heat, as those who do enjoy such displays are very angry at him.

Others have felt such heat in the past - including literal heat as a punishment for not giving a public display of fealty to a patriotic image.

In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 3, verses 1-7 we read:

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

In every age and nation, there are rituals of obedience to the ruler or ruling class. Be it Pope or People, Dictator or Democracy, President or Premier, King or Congress.

And there are some who - like Daniel and Colin Kaepernick - do not wish to give such fealty, obedience, worship, respect, or anything else you care to call it. Many knelt in the plains when they heard the music, but as the accompanying picture shows, three stood instead.

Some times it is a golden image of the current King. Sometimes a standard with SPQR (in the name of the Senate and People of Rome), often nowadays a flag. And while most in America stand when they hear the music of the Anthem, one - Colin - sat instead.

But in each case, it is not enough for us to see the image or flag, we are commanded by law or by custom, to show that outward sign of allegiance to the symbol, or suffer punishment from ostracism to prison to - in Bible times - that fiery furnace.

If others sit, we must sit. If they kneel we must kneel. And for Colin it is said, that when others stand - he MUST stand.

The outward signs are not relevant. Except that they must be shown. It could be standing up with your right arm stretched out in a Romish or Nazi salute. Or it could be ritualistically singing the praises of your King or your Country. It could be placing a hand over your heart, signifying that you do love Big Brother, or the Queen, or the Party or the Nation.

In all cases, those most in favor of it are those most insistent on it being mandatory. The fear is if some do not, then later still more may not. Soon, perhaps, none will. And where will that leave the few then laying in the dirt or trying to sing a two century old song?

Yet mandatory allegiance, mandatory worship, mandatory respect, are all oxymorons. There can be no allegiance, worship or respect where force or pressure is exerted to compel it.

Such things may only exist in an environment where it is possible to say "no" without suffering harmful consequences. Because where harmful consequences exist, how are we to know if the people are on their knees - or on their feet - out of true respect and homage, or fear of the mob or government?

So when we insult those who refuse to pledge allegiance to that which we feel they should, we're only confessing then that we do not think it is worth pledging to voluntarily. If we punish those who do not contort their bodies as we choose to or mouth the words that we enjoy, we prove our own lack of confidence in our ideals being voluntarily accepted.

Jehovah's Witnesses, a minor off-shoot faith of the 19th century American Restorationist movement won the right for everyone, quite some time ago, to NOT Pledge Allegiance to the Flag. The Supreme Court of the United States so ruled. The precedence stands.

It is in no way required to give allegiance, or to show a public display of submission or respect, to anyone or any thing except that which you choose.

Jehovah's Witnesses choose to reserve such for God. So do various others, usually of even less popular faiths. So do some few, not for religious reasons, but for not agreeing with various social, economic or political situations that they feel the nation they are in is not addressing appropriately.

At one point, many refused to stand or revere the anthem or flag while 58,000 teens were being sacrificed in a pointless undeclared war in Vietnam. They were vilified for that, yet history has shown them to have been correct.

Do not care then, at a football game of all things, if you see someone refuse to chant "Big Brother" or sing "God Save the Queen" or "Seig Heil" or place their hand over their heart. Give such allegiance and in such a matter as you care to, and be glad that none are stopping you.

Take that as enough, and don't force others to do as you do, for you'd sure not like them to force you to sit, or mock or jeer you for it.