Kneeling During the National Anthem You have probably seen the debate across the news covering the controversial protest of kneeling during the National Anthem. This protest has stirred up conversation throughout the nation. Was kneeling during the anthem an appropriate way to protest? Supporters think that the celebrities are smart by using their fame to bring attention to America’s problems, but others think that football games are not the appropriate place to focus on politics. This protest began on August 26, 2016 when Colin Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, first took a seat on the sideline bench at a preseason game during the National Anthem. Later he transitioned to kneeling alongside his standing teammates. The reason behind Kaepernick’s protest was to draw attention to racial injustice and police brutality in the United States against African Americans. After the public noticed Kaepernick’s revolt, a national discussion sparked. Many people think that kneeling during the National Anthem was not the most respectful approach Kaepernick could’ve taken. The certain group of people that After calling all athletes who kneeled during the National Anthem cruel names, not only did more kneelers appear, but the standing teammates linked arms showing unity. Their reason may not’ve been only to protest on racial injustice, but to rebel against Donald Trump and show that this is their right. Various people, including President Trump, think that every athlete who has kneeled should be fired because they should not be able to protest in such a disrespectful way. It’s not only fans who find this protest wrong, but even some players do, including Drew Brees. Brees says he agrees with the context of the protest, but not the actions of it stating, "[I]t's an oxymoron that you're sitting down, disrespecting that flag that has given you the freedom to speak
The NFL in particular is known for its focus on order, power and control, where operations are anonymous and interchangeable. With that players and employees are none else than compliant with league regulations. In this case Colin Kaepernick’s protest had the ability to go against the grain and break the façade of being afraid to voice his opinions. Today’s generation has become very open to sharing their opinions on social issues and Kapernick’s protest is just an addition. This protest instantly became political because of the fact that police brutality and racial is becoming a persistently uncomfortable issue that our country is facing. Every single there is something new about citizens being killed by the police for no reason, including recent cases such as Philando Castle and Terence Crutcher. Such issues will not be resolved until our society stands against it as a whole. It takes public figures such as Colin Kaepernick to stand with citizens to bring awareness about these issues in order to force change in the government and society. Whether industry leaders like it or not, I believe that such protest will continue to grow. Athletes and entertainers will continue to voice their opinions about social issues until changes come into effect.
If you are a big football fan then you might have noticed at the beginning of the season,that a player for the San Francisco 49ers, did not stand for the national anthem. The player's name is Colin Kaepernick. To some it might not have been a big deal, but to others it was a major controversy. They couldn't understand why Kaepernick did not stand for the anthem. From an online article by Steve Wyche, Kaepernick explains why he didn't stand for the anthem. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." () Kaepernick is referring to all the police shooting of African Americans that have been happening. Since Kaepernick started sitting out for the anthem others in the NFL and in other sports have also started to sit out for the anthem. The issue starts with the black
How do Americans feel about kneeling in protest during the national anthem? That’s a simple answer, the views are diverse and opinionated all around. You have your right to voice your opinion however, this concept seems to daunt many as they seem to forget that, in this case, kneeling as a form of protest is an exercise of our free speech and therefore should be accepted as such. President Donald Trump is guilty of stating he’s a man of the people but feels the need to disdain many unheard voices by using offensive and hurtful commentary like, “Get that son of a b---h off the field right now! He's fired!” (Tennessean- Lowary, J) Unaware of the reasoning behind every player’s protest, Trump continues to berate his own people in more ways than
“There is no directive within the organization, but it is considered to be understood that as desperate as the Texans are to bring in talent, the pool of potential signees and draftees will not include anyone who has participated in protests or are likely to,” Solomon continued. He added that while the Texans aren’t a racist organization, the team’s owner has frequently been “racially tone deaf,”
I feel it’s their choice to take a knee because it’s not like their disrupting the song they are not starting a chant and they are not causing a big scene. They’re simply taking a knee during a song it’s really not that big of a deal, it’s not like they’re burning a flag or stomping on the flag or any of that. “The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.” - Wikipedia, They’re simply kneeling to a poem that was named our national anthem.
Yes!!! I jumped with excitement to finally be able to attend a game of my favorite NFL team of all time, The Dallas Cowboys. The view was great and the players looked ready to stomp all over the packers, but then there I was witnessing the crowd boo each other, and the opposing team players. What a shame I thought, a simple course of action being used to cause a nation's argument. Some of the players were kneeling during our nation's pledge. I thought WOW after everything that you receive here in America, the players must show some respect to our flag.As of 13 months ago, the issue concerning NFL players and kneeling during the National Anthem has taken over the nightly news. As recent studies show that an average of at least 30 players kneel
So, now that we have you all caught up, let's dig into the question at hand. Do NFL players have the right to protest the National Anthem while they are on the clock? Players are saying it is freedom of speech. While everyday Americans are saying it is a double standard and they could not do that without being fired from their jobs.
The Source’s article, WashU Expert: NFL protests are free speech, but not protected by First Amendment, explains the legal aspect of why NFL players do not have constitutional rights in the league. Greg Margarian, professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, explains: “The NFL players’ protests around the National Anthem remind us that the First Amendment applies, as a matter of law, only to government action. Employees of private companies do not have constitutional rights against their
Protest is not always in the form of picketing outside a private property. There can be many forms of protest. Some include picketing, rioting, mass gatherings, strikes, and petitions. The difference between this and using music as a form of protest, aside from violence, is that music can be done in a way that almost everyone can appreciate. Music does not hurt anybody. In fact, music is something that almost every human being in the world likes. The style of music changes throughout each person but the core of music is similar in everybody. Music is something that brings everybody together and using it as a way of protest, for necessary reasons, is a great idea compared to the other forms of protest such as picketing, rioting, etc.
Bill Cosby, one of the greats was revered by many whites. But when he was accused of being a rapist, many “took a knee” in protest of Bill because his persona... his greatness was perceived to be a facade and didn’t represent the values that his TV personality represented. Lebron James, left Cleveland to go to Miami and the whites that loved him “took and knee” and burned his jersey because they felt he did not represent what they had built their hopes. Taking a knee has always been the peaceful way to protest against an entity that violates what is right.
Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit during the national anthem ahead of a preseason game in 2016 sparked a surge of NFL protests across the country. Every since then, players and workers in the NFL were inspired by Kaepernick’s actions, and joined his movement. One of the players who joined Kaepernick’s movement was current Oakland Raider running back, Marshawn Lynch. In November 2017, the Oakland Raiders faced the New England Patriots at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City. When the open ceremony started, Lynch sat down for the Star Spangled banner, but proceeded stand up for Mexico’s national anthem. Only 10 days after the incident, NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, announced a commitment to donate $90 million to social justice
This new trend needs to stop! These athletes are picking the wrong place to protest. Protesting before games against the flag should be banned. Protesting during the national anthem is wrong because the flag is the reason that these players are making money, playing the sport that they love, and living free country.
When I was told to pick a topic that was problematic and related to civil disobedience, I immediately thought of an event that got more media coverage than anything else in August of 2016. Headlines resembling phrases like “Disrespect to Our Great Nation”, “Black Lives Matter Advocate Crosses Line”, and “Footballer Disrespects Military”. Other headlines included ones like “Football Player Takes a Stand by Taking a Knee”, and “NFL Player Uses Platform for Social Justice”. The national anthem in sports has traditionally been known and characterized with celebrities, and elaborate performances. However, in August of 2016 Colin Kaepernick changed that by taking a knee in protest for the mistreatment and oppression of people of color. Initially,
They are being paid to play, so they should protest on their own time. Recently I have seen some of the ways people are protesting these NFL players’ actions is by burning NFL merchandise, reducing attendance at games, and booing players as they are kneeling. Professional football players are employees of the NFL. It is not stated in their contracts that they are required to stand for the anthem with their helmets in their left hand and their right hand on their heart, but in the Government Publishing Office, it states that all people that are not a military but, “all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.” If any other employee in other industries would behave in that manner at their place of employment they would most likely be fired immediately.
As protesters begin to take action on their opinions about the justice system, a debate has come upon us. Each one of us stand for the flag to honor all those who have died to give us freedom. Kneeling during the national anthem doesn’t get people that are trying to prove a point nowhere, sometimes it even makes things worse for them. Nobody ever gets respect by showing disrespect. Protesting during the national anthem is uncivil and a shame to the flag.