Clearly, as citizens of the United States, we are blessed with the freedom to peacefully protest without fear of government retaliation. However, I think it is wrong to protest during the playing of our national anthem. To me, the message being sent by such protestors is, "My country is not worthy of being honored by me standing during the playing of the national anthem, because, I, personally disagree with something the government is doing or not doing to my satisfaction." To be sure, we have problems we need to better address. However, the only time, all citizens of the United States pause for a few moments to jointly recognize that despite our political, religious, ideological differences and social problems, we are fortunate to reside in a country that is still the most cherished nation in the world in which to live. There are many other ways to protest, but to do so during the playing of our national anthem which symbolizes the survival of our nation through the most serious of threats is disgraceful.