I agree with Mary Wallace (“Calling a penalty on the media,” in Sunday’s paper) when she says that we give too much credit to movie and sports stars. They make tons of money because we support them, but they are not the brightest bulbs and we need to think twice before putting too much belief in what they spout.

After golf the other day, a friend asked for my opinion on NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. He knows I am a veteran. To put it bluntly, I told him that I despise what I saw.

I served 30 years and fought for my country. I saw many of my friends die serving this great country. All one has to do is Google names like Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Normandy, Khe Sanh, Basrah, Mosul, Tikrit, Fallujah, Kandahar, Bagram, Helmand Province. If you don’t recognize these names, you should.

When I see the American flag, I think of freedom. Too many men and women of all races have given their lives for this flag to have it disgraced by a bunch of entertainers that overestimate their value and influence on this great nation. It is time we show them that we can think for ourselves. Turn off their shows and ballgames on TV. Stop going to ballgames and spend our money on other entertainment.

We recently had a “kneeler” at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Taps. Disgraceful. We had football players kneel during the national anthem in England but stand for the English anthem. How does that serve any purpose?

The time has come for the common man to speak out with his money. Turn off the entertainers that disgrace this great nation. Protesters need to pick another venue to protest instead of disgracing our dearest and most-fought-for symbol of freedom, the American flag.

— Col. Grey Medinger

Spencer