Not once during these peaceful protests have I gotten the sense that the players’ intention is to disrespect the military. Not once did I feel that they were taking my father’s ultimate sacrifice for granted. Rather, they were exercising the exact freedoms my father gave his life for.

Protests are not supposed to be comfortable. They are supposed to incite change — and what these players are doing is working. Everywhere you look someone is talking about racism in the United States, all because a group of athletes have taken a stand. Whether it offends you or not, this is what a successful protest looks like.

Someone I know on Facebook wrote this:

So many better ways they could be helping their “cause” they could use their time and money to make their point or make a difference, but oh wait … that would require some sort of effort or sacrifice on their part. Does this get attention? Sure. But probably not the right kind. And it’s certainly not going to create any change.

Sure these “spoiled babies” (words I pulled from a different Facebook post) could do other things to make statements, like donate money to causes or maybe make a statement in a news conference. (By the way, they’ve been doing these things for a long time already.) But the audience they are targeting by kneeling will never see those other efforts. The family sitting next to me at a restaurant, this Facebook friend of mine, the president of the United States of America — perhaps none of them would be talking about it without those protests.

My Facebook poster writes, “it’s certainly not going to create any change.” But I have to disagree. It has changed me. When the former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt for the first time during the national anthem last year, it made me angry. I wanted to scream at the television: “How could he! My father died for this country!” But when I finally stepped back and looked deeply into why he was kneeling, I realized it was not my place to be upset. It was not my place to tell other Americans how to exercise their rights.

To those who criticize Mr. Kaepernick: Before posting your rant, consider why these football players are kneeling. Try to understand their side. Read James Baldwin or Toni Morrison or Margo Jefferson; I guarantee you will look at things differently.

And consider this: The president of the United States is more outraged by the actions of football players than by the actions of white supremacists. Let that sink in. Is there anything more offensive to the United States military than flying the American flag next to the Nazi flag? Talk about spitting on my father’s grave. President Trump gave white supremacists a pat on the hand, while black N.F.L. players get called “sons of bitches.” If that’s not proof of racial inequality in America, I’m not sure what is.

I will always respect my country’s flag and national anthem. To me they are the symbols of freedom, of my dad’s sacrifice. But my father did not die for symbols. He died for people. He died for the rights of all Americans, regardless of their race or religion. Right now, some Americans still face inequality. So they protest and create change. And I applaud them.