Re “Cause should be respected’’ (Sports, Aug. 28), Gary Washburn’s column about Colin Kaepernick: When I stand at an event and the national anthem is played, and the audience does not sing, I’m reminded of a time when all of us knew the words and sang it. I sing it even if no one else does.

When our flag is disrespected, I am not happy. I remember when the school day began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a salute to the flag.

There are things that are wrong in our country, and they need to be corrected. We are imperfect people and have a lot to learn. There are many ways to bring about change and still love the country that has a Constitution that protects your rights to civil disobedience.

I remember reading the 1863 story “The Man Without a Country’’ by Edward Everett Hale when I was in grammar school. In the course of his trial for treason, an American Army lieutenant denounces his country and says that he never wishes to hear its name again. He gets his wish. His sentence is to be placed on board a naval vessel. He spends the next 55 years on the high seas, transferred to various ships that never come into a US port, and no one ever gives him any news of his country or says its name. He bitterly regrets his words and comes to realize that he loves his country deeply.

Perhaps some of these unhappy people should try living for at least a year in other countries, such as China or Somalia, without the benefits they enjoy in the United States.

Lorraine Gilmore

Southborough