I love this country. I consider myself lucky to have been born into it, and I would fight to protect it. That does not mean it is perfect. There is a continuing escalation of violence between police officers and minorities. Pointing fingers and placing blame is both easy and dangerous. Taking steps to make our country safer by looking for real answers to this problem is harder and necessary.

I do not claim to have the answers. I am a middle-aged white guy with two kids living in the suburbs. I am neither a person of color nor a police officer. What I am is a citizen. Protecting the America I know is about more than going to foreign lands and fighting those who oppose us. It is about fighting for the ideals that this country was founded on wherever they are threatened. I want law-abiding citizens to feel safe when they walk our streets. I want police officers to both be protectors of us and protected by us.

Link arms during the anthem

This will not just go away. That is why my son and I will stand with the Seahawks this Sunday during the anthem with arms linked. It is gesture that I encourage all those in attendance to consider. Seattle is a proud city. We do not have to solve this problem for the whole country. Let’s start right here.

I have reached out to Seahawks players about how we can get involved beyond the symbolic gesture of linking arms during the anthem. The page below will be updated as we get more details.

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I know there will be people who are angry about this. My hope is that you will come to see that linking arms with fellow citizens is a show of support for what this country is meant to be. There is nothing more American than working together toward a better union.