The NBA already has a cap on salaries. No similar lid should be placed on dissent. If a player is so moved by the current climate to take a knee, sit on the bench or even stay in the locker room during the national anthem, the league should respect and applaud that courage, not punish it. These are serious times and the protests against racial inequality and police brutality shouldn’t be reduced to some bogus, patriotism litmus test.

Let’s be clear: Athletes are not possibly putting their careers at risk, opening themselves up to jeering fans in arenas and on social media, because they are anti-national anthem, anti-flag, anti-America, anti-military or any other “anti” that has been used to diffuse any honest discourse. That those arguments have distracted from the true purpose of this activism only goes to show why it is necessary. Change won’t come if no one listens. It certainly won’t come if a league that presents itself as progressive and forward-thinking discourages civil methods used to bring about awareness.

There is some irony for a league that banished an owner for racist words now wanting to keep players in a predominantly black league from acknowledging that they didn’t revoke their citizenship in this country the moment they put on a uniform. These players understand that being a professional basketball player provides no special protections once they leave the arena. Their skin color isn’t wiped away by millions of dollars and fame. They can look to Thabo Sefolosha for confirmation. Sefolosha suffered a broken leg two years ago because a reckless police officer never took the time to ask any questions before wielding a baton. On any other night, NBA players recognize that it could’ve also been them, or their friends, or a relative.

The most frustrating aspect of this debate — which President Donald Trump co-opted with his dog-whistling, “son of a bitch” comments — is that those who either aren’t paying attention or willfully are choosing to ignore the gravity of this situation have conflated it into an “anthem protest.” The handful of NFL players who followed Colin Kaepernick’s lead aren’t protesting “The Star-Spangled Banner” any more than the students who led the sit-in movement were protesting restaurants. Making the request for America to uphold the principles that have been etched in our Constitution shouldn’t be turned into an attack on the flag or the military — especially when athletes have explicitly stated that they aren’t opposed to either. Protests are meant to make others uncomfortable and to squirm. This shouldn’t be a kumbaya, campfire moment of locked arms; it should be upsetting and enlightening. The outrage over the protests have far exceeded the outrage over police murdering unarmed black people without admonition. Symbolism should never be more infuriating than death.

No acceptable form of protest exists for those opposed to change. Those in power certainly shouldn’t make the rules of protest. Taking a knee or raising a fist isn’t some frivolous act of defiance from attention whores; this an opportunity to force people to not just blindly or mindlessly salute. This is a chance to demand more of our nation. We won’t be able to move forward until everyone recognizes the merit of this movement. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom of consequences. Some behavior warrants swift chastisement. The NBA’s longtime rule requiring players, coaches and trainers to stand during the national anthem was in place decades before it became a political talking point. So the league isn’t being reactionary. But asking for equality, no matter the forum, shouldn’t be considered divisive. It definitely shouldn’t require disciplinary action.

Thoughtful protest is nothing new to the NBA. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) More