It’s times like these when we could all take a lesson from the Eagles — a band who, back in 1972, advised listeners to “Take It Easy.”

Later, with the group’s 1980 Top 10 single “I Can’t Tell You Why,” bassist Timothy B. Schmit sang: ”Nothing’s wrong as far as I can see/ We make it harder than it has to be.”

Well, Schmit certainly got it half-right. Because while one could easily argue that something is very wrong in this country, it’s also true that we’re making it so much harder than it has to be.

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I got home from church on Sunday to find my social media feeds clogged with a bunch of testosterone-fueled morons arguing over the size of their flagpoles. Apparently, some National Football League players refused to stand during our National Anthem, raising the ire of millions of patriotic Americans.

As a result, there was no shortage of stupid opinions over the weekend, with everyone arguing about what can or ought to be done about the NFL.

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Of course, at the heart of this irresponsible mass of virtual conversation was our very own commander-in-tweet. In his continuing quest to Make America Great at Blaming Others Again, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to declare: “If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL, or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!”

Well, now. There’s a truly presidential thing to do: The so-called leader of the free world encouraging NFL business owners to do their part to raise the unemployment rate by firing American workers.

All due respect, but despite what the president and others might imply, the brave men and women of our armed forces don’t fight to force their fellow Americans to show respect for flag and country. Ironically, that’s the very thing they fight against — despots who would compel others to think or speak or feel or act a certain way.

Every time somebody posts another one of those “this-soldier-wants-to-stand-for-the-flag-but-he-has-no-legs” meme, it actually bolsters the position of Colin Kaepernick and other athletes who choose to sit the National Anthem out. Because, in truth, that soldier gave his legs so that NFL players would have the freedom to not to use theirs if they so desired.

So then, how is it that the guy who has taken an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States doesn’t understand that one simple fact?

And as long as we’re administering spankings to those who lined up behind Trump, I’ve got a little request for the passionate-but-misguided NFL players who refused to stand. Any chance you could do us all a solid and find another way to bring attention to the cause?

Here’s the thing: We all know that respect for the flag is a hot-button issue for a large percentage of the people in this country — people we’ll need to win over if we ever hope to achieve that whole equality-for-all thing. So why would you think the National Anthem is a good time to broach the subject? Unless, of course, you’re so hurt and angry that you’re not really interested in advancing the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but just want to do something that hurts and angers the other side.

Why make it an either-or prospect, asking folks to choose between respect for their country and respect for those who don’t share their skin color?

Listen, I don’t know much about algebra — Hello? Journalism major? — but I do seem to remember that when you’re working a problem you first want to simplify the equation as much as possible. So if you’re looking for the answer to racism (represented by “X”), why complicate things with the introduction of patriotism (represented by “Y”)? Figure how to cancel out “Y” on both sides of the equation, and solve for “X”.

How am I not a mathematics professor?

Professional athletes ought to be looking for better ways to call attention to the critical issue of race in this country — ways that don’t get lost in the fog of the war on patriotism. Remove your helmets and take a knee right before the kickoff. Instead of touchdown celebration dances, make a meaningful gesture that draws attention to the issue. Bring up the subject in post-game interviews.

And as long as I’m on a roll with this whole unsolicited advice thing, I’ve got a little tip for the Washington Redskins: If you plan to continue such protests, next game you may want to come out of the tunnel naked as the day you were born.

That, or risk creating an irony so great that it literally rips a hole in the space-time continuum.

Paraphrasing another famous King: “Why can’t we all just get along?” Well, unlike Timothy B. Schmit and the Eagles, I can tell you why. Because America’s got deep-rooted problems. To fix them, we’ll need love and compassion and understanding.

And compromise.

And one of the first compromises we can all make is to quit using the American flag as a political football.

Contact Mark Saal at 801-625-4272, or msaal@standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at @Saalman. Friend him on Facebook at facebook.com/MarkSaal.