I can see how it is possible that this anti-national anthem has developed out of the black lives matter movement(which I disagree with), but the bottom line is the USA has free speech and this is free speech.
I too am appalled with America for what the country has done for the past decade or two and where we are heading. No one should stop anyone from trying to improve our country by standing up for what they think. That is the basis for our country. They may be wrong, which I think they are, but they are standing for what they think.
Who's stopping them?
If this is free speech, then so is the wearing of a solidarity patch the Cowboys wanted to do with the Dallas police, which the NFL forbade; or wearing special cleats to commemorate 9/11, and to later be auctioned for charity— which the NFL forbade and threatened to fine the athlete. So, this is hypocrisy not free speech. And, it is really not a free speech issue. Free speech does not mean you can say anything you want at any time and anywhere without repercussion. It means that the GOVERNMENT cannot be the instrument of any repercussion. The NFL could do anything it wanted since Kapernick et all are “on the job”