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Jacksonville 11-year-old writes open letter, 'Why everyone should stand for our national anthem'

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Michael Manley is 11 but he already knows what he wants to be when he grows up -- a U.S. Marine.

Michael loves his country, the U.S. Marines and football.

When he saw several Jacksonville Jaguars players taking a knee during the national anthem Sunday, he felt his love of country was more important than his love of football.

“I was very disappointed in the players, because I’m a big football fan,” Michael said.

In London on Sunday, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan stood arm in arm with his players on the field,  and more than a dozen other Jaguars players knelt during the national anthem.

Players like A.J. Bouye took a knee in direct response to President Donald Trump’s remarks about firing players who refused to stand.

“I was p***** off last night just for the simple fact I don’t know the president as a man just like he doesn’t know us as men,” Bouye said.

The protests started last year when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick said he refused to stand during the national anthem, in protesting inequality and social injustice.

Now as more players are joining in the peaceful protest, fans are taking more notice.

As for young Michael, he wrote a letter titled “Why everyone should stand for our national anthem,” and now he says he’s not watching any games as a protest of his own.

“They are being paid to catch a ball and run and people are running into situations we would run out of, and it's not right,” Michael said.