Missouri governor on anthem protests: Doesn’t agree but NFL players have rights

Missouri Governor Mike Parson said he doesn’t agree with NFL players who take a knee during the National Anthem but believes they have the right to do so.

Parson was asked about the topic Tuesday while he was visiting Chiefs practice on the final day of the team’s training camp at Missouri Western.

“We all have individual freedoms in this country,” Parson said. “It’s not something I agree with, but those players have a right to express themselves also.”

The NFL agreed last month to put on hold a new policy requiring players to stand for the national anthem. Player protests started in 2016 after several players started kneeling as a call to action for social justice. The protests received some blowback from critics who suggested their actions showed disrespect for the U.S. military.

Tuesday also was Military Appreciation Day at Chiefs camp, and players spent time with some 150 military personnel after practice signing autographs and posing for photographs. Parson served two tours in the U.S. Army.

Before he took questions, Parson noted how the Chiefs “made sure they took time to show their appreciation to the armed forces and military members, and that doesn’t go unnoticed. They can do many things but they stayed out there to do that. It means a great deal to me personally.”

Then came the questions about the anthem.

“I don’t think any player I’ve known would ever be showing disrespect to people who wear the uniform,” Parson said. “You saw that out there today and it was very positive.

“You get into a stance, what people want to do. Personally, it’s not me. I believe in standing for the national anthem. That’s just the way it is.

“All I’m saying is (players) have rights. If they want to express themselves, then express yourself. It doesn’t mean that everybody has to agree with that, either.”

Parson was asked why he thinks some players protest.

“I know exactly why they’re doing it,” he said. “For me to be able to do that, I have my beliefs on whether you should stand or not for the national anthem.”

At that point, Parson stopped taking questions.

This story was originally published August 14, 2018 at 1:54 PM.