John Berry, hello there. First of all, thank you for your service and I truly mean that.

Here's where you and I are going to respectfully disagree...and that's OK. If I'm quoting you correctly, you are saying "It's their right (to kneel) as free Americans." That is where I respectfully disagree. When a person is employed by another, they lose there right to say anything they want to say, dress anyway that they want to dress and act any way that they care to act. I am a Registered Nurse. I cannot walk into my place of work in anything other than the approved dress code. I have to be well groomed and not look like a slug. I cannot say anything provocative that I want to say. I cannot take part in any social injustice protesting in my place of work. And, I cannot do anything on social media on my own time that in any way might cast a negative light on my character or the company I work for. I can lose my job if I get a DUI.

The part where I am being told "it's their right" to do what they want while under the employment of another is really quite offensive to people who, in the real world, don't have that "right." Would your CO tolerate you kneeling? My boss wouldn't tolerate me doing that. Would your CO allow you to embroider " BLACK LIVES MATTER" across the back of your uniform like the NBA players are doing or on the back of your cover like many NFL players are doing? Mine wouldn't. I would find myself escorted off the property by security, my final check mailed to me and I would lose ALL of my benefits.

These men that we see playing on the field and standing on the sidelines are employed and they are employees. There should be a code of conduct and they should be held to that standard like any other employee/employer relationship. The league, the same one that used to levy fines for not wearing the right socks or shoes, has literally given themselves over to a league of political and social agendas. I believe in doing so, they have started to walk down a path of no return.

So, I do wish you the best in your endeavors. I hate that sporting events now have to be a stage for this to be played out on. I am more like Gary B., I just come here to talk about sports and have meaningful conversations instead of pissing matches over politics and such.

You know, "free speech" isn't a free pass to say, act and do as one pleases. There are consequences to all of this. The bell cannot be unrung. And, free speech isn't really allowed on these boards. There are moderators who will censor posts and take voices away. All you have to do is to watch how many stories have the comments section closed.

In my humble opinion, and if I'm alone on this it's alright, I would prefer Ezekiel Elliot appear to be more concerned with ball protection than BLM or showing off that gross "feed me" tattoo across his belly! Really? Feed you the ball more when you aren't protecting it and vomiting it up? I would rather see Poe more interested in stopping the run instead of kneeling. I'd rather see the defensive ends set the edge and pressure the QB instead of thinking about anything to do with social justice when they can't stop the Browns, of all teams, from running 320 yards down their throats. Where are the good old days of Jimmy Johnson and the asthma field (smiles)?

Just my thoughts. If you agree, great. If you disagree, great.