A person of honor takes a step backward

Supreme Court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, long known for her ability to speak honestly and intelligently about a whole range of legal and cultural issues in our country, said in a recent interview,

When asked by Couric how she feels about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and others athletes, refusing to stand for the anthem, Ginsburg replied, “I think it’s really dumb of them.”
“Would I arrest them for doing it? No,” Ginsburg elaborated. “I think it’s dumb and disrespectful. I would have the same answer if you asked me about flag burning. I think it’s a terrible thing to do, but I wouldn’t lock a person up for doing it. I would point out how ridiculous it seems to me to do such an act.”
Couric then asked, “But when it comes to these football players, you may find their actions offensive, but what you’re saying is, it’s within their rights to exercise those actions?”
“Yes,” said Ginsburg. “If they want to be stupid, there’s no law that should be preventive. If they want to be arrogant, there’s no law that prevents them from that. What I would do is strongly take issue with the point of view that they are expressing when they do that.”

I'm not interested in the legal aspects of what she said because there's no confusion about that.  I am interested to hear that a person who usually thinks so clearly can be so obviously wrong on such an important issue.  Dumb?  Disrespectful? Arrogant?  I think these kids just got a lesson in just how important these issues are and how much work still needs to be done.  There's nothing dumb or disrespectful about it.  Does Ruth Bader Ginsburg really believe that standing for a song is more important that calling attention to the need to do something about the serious racial problems we have in this country?  It's hard to imagine she actually said that.

If she were a regular person, I would look to her words, "I would point out how ridiculous it seems to me to do such an act" and "What I would do is strongly take issue with the point of view that they are expressing when they do that" and think to myself, "Is this an emotional issue?  Is she feeling attacked, much like Trump supporters, and responding by trying to shove African Americans back in their place?"  But she's Ruth Bader Ginsburg, so I just can't seem to believe that I need to ask myself those questions.  For now, I'll leave the deciphering of her motivations up to history, while I take a knee.

Update.