K-
You are deliberately falsifying their intent and you know it.  Nobody is kneeling during the anthem to slam veterans or current service members - and I know that you know this.  We both know why they are doing this: to peacefully demonstrate against racial injustice in this country.  

You are free to take their protest as personally as you wish with whatever interpretation you want.  Heck, you can even claim that kneeling at the national anthem is nothing more than an advertisement for some random company that makes knee pads if you want.  But we both know why they are doing this because they have said so.  And few servicemen who understood what they meant would be as offended as you are.

I get it - you hold the national anthem as sacrosanct.  But taking umbrage at a silent, peaceful protest is taking umbrage at the very essence of our first amendment, arguably the most important portion of the entire constitution.