In America, you can take a knee and not be put away. Sure, some people can be against you for it, but if they weren't, then you wouldn't have to take a knee.
The question you should be asking is not should they or shouldn't they. But "Why do some Americans feel the need to make a statement like this?" And then, "What do we need to do to fix it?"
The men and women of the Armed Forces defend our freedom to take knees if we want and are proud of their job and I don't know a single person who doesn't support them. Standing up for the flag does not equal supporting our troops. I was a troop once, and I support both the troops (past, present and future), and the need to improve our treatment of minorities and immigrants in this country and the right (and responsibility) for citizens to speak their mind as they see fit with whatever platform they have.
A president who singles out individuals for his harassment, on the other hand is anathema to his office and good leadership in general. I've always stood during the National Anthem, Pledge, etc., because the flag does not represent Trump, and he is definitely not representing America or our values.
To me, the flag, the Anthem and the Pledge are symbols of our aspiration to live up to our values. We want to be a more perfect union, we want to liberty and justice for all. We want our country to be a beacon of hope to the world and a leader by example: strong, firm, compassionate, inclusive, resolute, innovative. Not shrill, strident, peevish, defensive, flip-floppy, fear-driven, hyper-reactive.
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