Kaernick National Anthem Analysis

Since World War 1 in the United States, professional sports players and fans began singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the start of any professional baseball games. However, before that, the national anthem--or rather a refusal to stand for it, sing the words, or face the flag during the song's performance--has been used to protest the perceived failures of the United States government. Beginning of 2016 NFL preseason, Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, decided to take a seat during the National Anthem, claiming that his actions were a protest against racial oppression and inequality. His acts during the first preseason game went unnoticed until the third preseason game. Kaepernick was celebrated by some and viciously maligned by others. Many Americans disapproved of his actions and were very upset because in America sitting down during the National Anthem; the song of the nation, is disrespectful to our military and our Nation. Later in the last preseason game, Kaepernick was kneeling instead of sitting; he decided to respects the military because he thought sitting was too disrespectful to the military. A little too late bubbe! Critics called him unintelligent, spoiled, ill-informed, and anti-American, while others, including a

Instead of being proud of this country standing with their hands resting over their hearts, several athletes of color are either sitting down or taking a knee and raising a clenched protest of police brutality and racial inequities. Others were joining the protests to show solidarity with their teammates, who risk public backlash and are peacefully exercising their freedom of speech. Kaepernick's protest influenced by the Black Lives Matter movement, which, has called for radical changes to improve the futures of African-Americans and to end the epidemic of state-sanctioned violence in their