Missouri state Senator Jamilah Nasheed of St. Louis sat during the playing of the National Anthem in the state Senate the other day. She did this out of a sense of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick and others who feel that it is their duty as Americans to protest the unjust treatment of large swaths of its citizenry. Here’s what she tweeted that day.
Here’s what Republican Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder had to say:
"There is no question of the senator’s right to remain seated during the Pledge, but it’s a question of the propriety of her action. I worry about the example she is setting, particularly for our young people. I believe our best hope for tackling the tough issues of racial unity and economic opportunity is through the shared commitment to the principles and ideals that make America great."
To the right you can see a photo showing the “propriety” of Missouri police action as they let Michael Brown’s dead body lie in the middle of a residential area in broad daylight for hours.
Meanwhile, during this session, Missouri legislators were able to override a veto on conceal carry without a permit as well as override a veto of mandatory voter ID. So, once again, who is more patriotic here—the lawmaker sitting during the national anthem to protest the unjust treatment of citizens, or the lawmaking body that insists on using racist and classist methods to disenfranchise voters?