Mr. President, that's the true meaning of the American flag!

However, for Jehovah's Witnesses, the flag was a <x0mage”, which, according to their religious beliefs, was forbidden to greet their children. The students refused to do so and were expelled from school; the parents were prosecuted; eventually, the case reached the Supreme Court.

There, in the case of the Education of West Virginia State vs. Barnette, Judge Robert Jackson ruled with a majority of 6 against three votes that the state cannot force children to salute the flag. Changing the court's ruling just three years ago, Jackson wrote, in the middle of the war, what remains one of the most consistent statements of belief in what really makes America great.

“Trusting that patriotism will not flourish if patriotic ceremonies are voluntary and spontaneous, and not a mandatory “routine, he wrote, “is like making an inexorable appeal assessment of our institutions to free our heads”.

What brings this example to mind, of course, is the latest explosion of Trump. The first tender, when he starts calling others “the sons of b” and becoming nostalgic for days when he caused them more shock for soccer fans' entertainment, is to be avoided.

After all, it's embarrassing to have to explain to children that we have a president who speaks so rudely. This is a diversive game that he can look for when he finds himself involved between Kim Jong Un or Senator John McCain. But shouldn't we worry about more important things -- health care, tax reform, the Puerto Rico flood -- the dangers of nuclear war?

But when Mr. Trump tweets that the players should stop disrespecting our flag and country”, it becomes clear: In some ways, there is nothing more important than his mistaken understanding of how to truly respect the flag.

Some NFL players have participated in a challenging debate about race, police and criminal justice, and Mr. Trump was offended by this. His response: dismiss players who do not share his views. He demanded conformity and uniformity.

He's not alone, of course. If it were, Colin Kaepernick would probably have a job already. But the response to Mr. Trump's ugly remarks and threats by players and team owners reflects an encouraging consensus that the true way to respect the American flag is to respect the diversity of opinions it protects.

As the matches began Sunday, players, trainers and owners kneeled, tied their wings and made statements in other ways. Our “Players have exercised their rights as citizens of the United States in order to promote conversations and actions to address social injustice”, San Francisco 49ers' owner, Jed York, said on Saturday. “We will continue to support them in their peaceful intentions of positive changes in our country and worldwide”.

What's offensive here is not what Mr. Trump thinks of Mr. Kaepernick. At this point, honestly, who cares? But when the president uses the binding clergy to declare certain speeches as legitimate and some beyond borders; when his response to the protest is to question patriotism rather than engage in the issue of unequivocal police, then it's Mr. Trump who has not respected our flag and our country”.

As Judge Jackson wrote three-quarters of a century ago, “if there are any hard-pressed stars in our constitutional agenda, it is that no official, high or small one can describe what Orthodox will be in politics, nationalism, religion, or other issues of thought, or force citizens to confess their faith in words or verpiy.