NFL players on the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens knelt during the American national anthem Sunday morning, but had no problem ignoring the atrocities of the British empire.

The Jaguars and Ravens are playing in London Sunday, and the players for both teams stood during “God Save the Queen,” despite kneeling during our anthem.

Here are the Jaguars and Ravens sidelines during the national anthem. They stood during “God Save the Queen.” pic.twitter.com/QwhmYez5XM — SB Nation (@SBNation) September 24, 2017

The obvious irony is the crimes and atrocities of the British empire dwarf anything the United States of America has ever been accused.

For example, British troops infamously carried out the Amritsar massacre, where the troops were ordered to not stop firing on nonviolent protesters until they ran out of ammunition. More than 350 people were ruthlessly gunned down.

British troops were also accused of raping and torturing thousands of people in Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising. Millions of people in India also died of starvation under British colonial rule.

The crimes of the British empire are horrific, well-documented and absolutely inexcusable. It begs the question: why are NFL players okay standing for the song of a nation which has brutally raped, starved and murdered innocent people, but won’t stand for America?

The faults with America aren’t even close to being on the same level of the British. The British have carried out systematic oppression far worse than anything the protesting NFL players can even begin to imagine, and it’s something we have never seen by America.

Perhaps these players should spend a little more time studying history before choosing which anthems to sit and stand for.

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