The 24-hour news cycle and social media are abuzz with controversy over NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. We wonder if most Americans remember what the initial protest was about. Police officers haven’t forgotten.

When Colin Kaepernick took a knee last year, he was protesting what he incorrectly viewed as an increase in police brutality. We haven’t forgotten that fact because, while we support the First Amendment rights of every American, including the right to protest, we believe the conversation about race and policing has been distorted by the national media and anti-cop activists looking to score cheap political points.

An accusation of bias against police officers is a deeply personal subject to the men and women in blue. We are not dismissive of the notion that there are officers who allow racial bias to impact their duties. But popular national media have distorted what is happening at police departments across America, and this matters greatly, because officers’ lives are put at risk by the false media narrative.

Kevin Lawrence is the executive director of the Texas Municipal Police Association.

Read Full Story at Denver Post.