e not the strongest mentally, as a team. The physical ability, the coaching, the players -- its all there. Mentally, we need to get stronger.And if t

SAN FRANCISCO -- The oldest Latino civil rights group in the United States opens every meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, a tradition resulting from a long fight to prove Hispanics belong in this country. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys .In the San Francisco Bay Area, a white father of two says he would never require his young daughters to recite the pledge to show their patriotism.And in North Dakota, Native American protesters whose ancestors were here long before there was a United States waved American flags as they fought a proposed pipeline near sacred tribal land. Some demonstrators flew the flag upside down as a distress symbol.San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernicks refusal to stand during The Star-Spangled Banner in protest against racial oppression and police brutality has brought to light deep and sometimes surprising differences in the way Americans view the flag, the national anthem and the pledge.The symbols, people say, inspire skepticism and heartbreak, pride and joy, sometimes all at once in the same person. Some minorities, in particular, have conflicted feelings about symbols honoring a country that has not always treated all people equally.The flag is important to us because we have so many relatives in the military, said Justin Poor Bear, a 38-year-old member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from Allen, South Dakota. There is also a lot of pain.Following Kaepernicks example, pro athletes and high school students across the country are taking a knee or linking arms during the national anthem before sporting events.The protests have raised questions of who gets to be called a patriot.Jason Pontius, a 46-year-old white resident of Alameda, California, said the U.S. of all countries should realize that blind devotion is not the American way. Sometimes when he drops off his second-grader at school, he sticks around while she recites the Pledge of Allegiance with her class. But he doesnt join in.What makes America great, he said, is that people have always challenged the idea of what America stands for.Yet there are organizations that embrace the flag precisely as a way to declare that their members, too, are Americans.The League of United Latin American Citizens -- the nations oldest Latino civil rights group, founded in Texas by World War I veterans -- has historically opened all its meetings with the pledge and a prayer similar to one George Washington is said to have recited.Dennis W. Montoya, the leagues state director in New Mexico, said the groups emphasis on American pride is connected with a long fight by Latinos to prove they belong in this country.If someone doesnt stand for the pledge at one of our meetings, that person will probably be kicked out, Montoya said. Its disrespecting LULACs rituals and traditions.African-Americans have been moved to create symbols that better reflect their history.The national anthem, for example, was written by a slave owner and contains a painful reference to slavery in its little-known third stanza. The NAACP dubbed Lift Evry Voice and Sing the black national anthem in 1919.The hymn is a staple of African American singers and is so important that the clergy member who gave the benediction at President Barack Obamas 2009 inauguration opened with lines from the song.After Kaepernick started his protest in August, C.C. Washington of Waco, Texas, read all the stanzas of The Star-Spangled Banner, including the one that refers derisively to slaves who fought for the British in exchange for their freedom.The 65-year-old African-American retiree -- fresh off visiting the Statue of Liberty last week -- felt betrayed.All this time, Ive been posting on Facebook: Respect our flag, respect our national anthem. Now its totally different, she said, choking up. Ill stand out of respect for the people standing next to me, not because I believe it.Poor Bear said he started looking at the anthem differently after he took a group of Oglala Lakota students to a minor-league hockey game last year. A man yelled slurs and sprayed the children with beer, incensed that one of them did not stand for the national anthem, Poor Bear said. The student had been putting batteries into a camera.So I still stand for the national anthem, Poor Bear said. But I no longer put my hand over my heart.Linda Tamura, a retired professor of education in Portland, Oregon, has no personal objections to the anthem or the flag, even though her family was among tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans put in internment camps by the U.S. government during World War II.Her father volunteered for the military, along with her uncle and other Japanese-American men who felt it was their duty. When she looks at the Stars and Stripes, she says, she feels pride, instilled in part by her parents, who more than anything wanted us to believe in our country.At the same time, she salutes the growing protest movement and hopes it triggers broader discussions about how to improve relations.Thats why my father was in the military. Thats why were part of America. Thats why we believe in America, she said. Because we have the right to say what we believe.---Contreras reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. AP staff writer Deepti Hajela and stringer Rachelle Blidner contributed to this story from New York. Staff writers Errin Haines Whack contributed from Philadelphia; Jesse J. Holland and Noreen Nasir from Washington.---Follow Janie Har on Twitter at www.twitter.com/byjaniehar Andrej Sustr Jersey . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Alex Killorn Jersey . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. http://www.cheaplightningjerseys.com/?ta...cavalier-jersey . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. INDIANAPOLIS -- Andrew Luck is paying a hefty price for taking so many hits.After getting knocked around more than a dozen times in last weekends loss to Houston, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback missed practice Wednesday with shoulder and elbow injuries to his throwing arm though he expects to play Sunday at Minnesota.Absolutely, very confident, Luck said when asked if hed be available this weekend.The Colts (6-7) desperately need him because they have to win their last three games and get help just to stay in contention for the playoffs.Pagano said he would monitor Lucks status with the medical staff this week before deciding whether to use his quarterback against a Vikings defense that is No. 2 in the league and has 35 sacks.Indy has given up 40 sacks this season and will be without left guard Jack Mewhort and possibly right guard Denzelle Good (concussion).I will wait for the doctors and trainers to go through the rehab process and go through the rest of the day (Thursday) and we will see tomorrow, Pagano said, referring to Lucks practice status.The problem in Indy is that talk about Lucks health has become a recurring theme in an already underwhelming season.Hes been listed on the teams injury report every week this season and has missed five full practices. When he sat the first time, in September, Pagano said it was because of a sore throwing shoulder and as part of a predetermined maintenance plan to keep the Colts biggest star healthy for the rest of the season.Instead, the hits mounted and the injuries didnt go away.Luck missed the Thanksgiving night loss to Pittsburgh with a concussion. On Wednesday, he compared the current soreness in his right arm to the injury he had after a Week 2 loss.It didnt feel as good after that game as you would like, Luck said. But again, its football. Its December football. Nobody feels like they want to at this point of the year.During Lucks first three NFL seasons, he was the model of consistency -- starting 57 consecutive games including the playoffs, posting three straight 11-win seasons and reaching the postseason all three times.But after enduring more than 450 hits since 2012, the most of any quarterback in the league, its taken a toll.Luck missed his first two games early last season because of an injured right shoulder.After returning, Luck spent the next month trying to fight through other injuries before missing the final seven games with a lacerated kidney and partially torn abdominal muscle. Peter Budaj Jersey. Even when he did play last season, Luck wasnt the same. He went 2-5 with 15 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions in seven starts.And though the stat line has improved this season, the hits keep coming.One time is too much, left tackle Anthony Castonzo said. So any time he gets hit is too many.The latest injury comes as the reeling Colts are trying to pull things together after a loss prompted Lucks favorite option, T.Y. Hilton, and the franchises career sacks leader, Robert Mathis, to offer their critiques.Hilton told reporters Sunday evening that the Colts laid down against Houston.Mathis used his weekly radio show Tuesday on local station WNDE to call on teammates to get stronger mentally.Im not bashing -- Im just telling the truth. Im the leader and that falls on me. Im the first one the fans should be angry at, Mathis said.We can play with any team, when we are on our `A game. Its (just) a lot of mental. We are not the strongest mentally, as a team. The physical ability, the coaching, the players -- its all there. Mentally, we need to get stronger.And if they have any chance of getting back in the playoff hunt , they need Luck on the field for the final month of the season.Im a big believer in practice and it hurts your soul not to be out there practicing, he said. Obviously some things are done for the better for this team, for yourself. Not practicing today was the right decision.Game notes Good and defensive tackle Zach Kerr were both limited participants at practice as they work through the concussion protocol. ... Mathis (biceps), tight end Dwayne Allen (hip), receiver Donte Moncrief (hamstring) and offensive lineman Joe Reitz (back) did not work out. Safety Mike Adams, cornerback Vontae Davis and running back Frank Gore all were given the day off. ... Starting cornerback Patrick Robinson (groin) will miss the rest of the season after being placed on injured reserve Tuesday.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '