McCoy hit slams anthem protests

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BRANSON MO NEWS: Country singer Neal McCoy says his new song in response to the national anthem protest controversy likely is polarizing, but it’s a reflection of where he stands on the issue, adding that he “respects the flag and the country.” McCoy, who lives in Longview, debuted the song “Take a Knee … My Ass!” this past week on his Christmas tour in Branson, Missouri. It since has been viewed 3.6 million times on his Facebook page and also is the No. 1 digital country music song download on Amazon. McCoy said he has had hits before but none like this one.A friend of McCoy, Gloria Baron, heard the song written by Dan Roberts — who has written songs for artists such as Garth Brooks — and told McCoy he should record it because the singer is known for his patriotism. “She said, ‘I know where you stand on things and you love this country and respect our flag, and I think you ought to hear the song,'” McCoy said.He said his reason for recording the song was not about money.”This is not a money grab for me — this is how I feel,” McCoy said. “The American flag is on the side of my bus, and so is the Pledge of Allegiance.”For the past 678 days, McCoy has recited the Pledge of Allegiance on his Facebook page. He said he started long before the National Football League controversy. The controversy surrounding national anthem protests in the NFL began this past year when former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick first sat and then began kneeling during the anthem to protest what he said was oppression of people of color in this country. President Donald Trump became involved earlier this year when he said NFL owners should fire players who kneel.Kaepernick recently was named citizen …