NFL star Michael Strahan took to Instagram on Wednesday to set the record straight about why he didn’t have his hand over his heart during the national anthem at a Veterans Day event.
Strahan faced harsh backlash by critics that accused him of being disrespectful and unpatriotic after he stood on a U.S. Navy ship with his hands crossed in front of him instead of over his chest. He responded to the criticism previously by sharing a post to social media about the respect he has for all veterans, including his father.
The criticism continued and Strahan came forward with a selfie video explaining what happened in the moments leading up to the national anthem. Those who judged him should hear what he had to say, as it may change their perspective on the situation.
The requirement to show respect to our veterans is not in question. Strahan’s explanation of his stance in that moment was a genuine one. Strahan explained his human response to a situation that could happen to any of us.
“I wanna address what happened this past weekend, and I feel like I need to address it because it spilled over to the point that I get out of my car today and I’m ambushed by a media outlet here at my house,” Strachan said in the video.
He reminded fans of how much he loved the military and how much of his time was dedicated to demonstrating his sincere appreciation for all they’ve done and continue to do for our country.
“I did a two-hour show praising the military and all that they’ve done for us, celebrating veterans day,” he said.
Michael Strahan disrespected the military during a Veterans Day pre-game show on @NFLonFOX. The great irony is Strahan on a ship surrounded by men and women who would willingly sacrifice their lives to protect his freedom. So, his behavior is not just repugnant, it’s downright… pic.twitter.com/iIXqChfLCW
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) November 10, 2024
“We had our national anthem. I didn’t have my hand over my chest. Everyone thought he’s protesting, he’s making a statement – which is so far from the truth. I have nothing to protest, I have no statement to be made — the only statement that should be made and I wanna make is I love the military, I’ve always loved the military and I will always love the military,” Strahan said.
He reiterated his personal connection to Veterans Day.
“I do so many programs to help veterans and soldiers , I grew up on a military base with a father who was a major in the army. My brother, my sister, my cousins — they all served in the military. I’m a military brat. And so the fact that somebody saying I’m unpatriotic, couldn’t be any further from the truth,” he told his followers.
He then launched into the explanation of what transpired in that moment when he failed to raise his hand to his heart.
“If you want the truth I’ll tell you the truth — I was caught up in the moment. I’m looking at all these young sailors at attention before the national anthem played and I’m thinking to myself, ‘how incredible to be that young and to know that you want to do this, it’s such a commitment,’” Strahan said.
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 11: Michael Strahan is seen arriving at “Good Morning America” in Times Square on July 11, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Getty Images
“By the time I looked up from that moment, all my Fox guys had their hands over their hearts, the national anthem playing and I somewhat panicked. And I’m like, ‘do I be the fool that puts his hand over their heart after, or do I just stand there with my hands in front of me respectfully?’”
It’s time to go easy on the guy. We’ve all been there. We’ve all been caught in a moment. Strahan’s historic support of veterans shouldn’t be ignored simply because he didn’t hold his hand over his heart. It seems he couldn’t have gotten this right with critics that would scold him for raising his hand over his chest part of the way through the anthem, had he tried to do that.
In all fairness, he stood with his hands folded respectfully in front of him. He wasn’t doing anything intentionally disrespectful in any way. It’s hard to believe that citizens would try to negate all his support for veterans over hand placement, especially after hearing his explanation.
Strahan wrapped his video by saying, “And if that offended any of our military and veterans, I apologize to you because that was never my intent. I’m a product of the military, a proud lover of the military, a proud lover of all those who served before, now, and those who will serve in the future.” (RELATED: Michael Strahan Responds After People Accuse Him Of Inappropriate Veterans Day Behavior On Live TV)
It would be a big mistake to take the focus off the good he’s done in support of our veterans in order to pick and pry at this particular moment in time.
We have bigger battles to be won, folks. This hardly seems like something to make a big issue about, given the honest explanation he just provided us with.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
