Kaepernick's Kneel: Patriotism and Social Equality

Lately, everyone has seen or commented on Kaepernick kneeling the National Anthem. There are non-supporters like Stephen Duncombe defines Kaepernick protest as “Ethical Spectacle, [a] strategic use of a symbol, sign or gesture to seek a cultural shift” (Jenkins). Supporters like Mat Bonesteel of The Washington Post states “[Kaepernick] protest could have sparked needed conversations on … subjects: [such as] on the treatment of black Americans… on patriotism’s place in society; on the importance of symbols” (Gass). Colin Kaepernick should continue kneeling because he shows patriotism, awareness on subjects like freedom of speech. Also, the difficult African Americans has protesting for equalities.
Colin Kaepernick shows patriotism in a way

Henry Gass states, “The prospect of athletes speaking up has always been fraught” (2). Carl Stoffers states, “Many accused [Kaepernick] of thumbing his nose at America by not joining in a patriotic ritual that’s long been a fixture at sporting events” (8). Include the fact that the NFL which Kaepernick plays “[is] a league that promotes itself as a war game and brands itself with the flag” (Jenkins). Doubters are quick to label him unpatriotic because the place and time he protested might be wrong. The NFL show respect to military officials, Roger Goodell says, “The NFL believes very strongly in patriotism” (Jenkins). The military and American football has the same symbolic values. Carl Stoffers writes Starn says “[American is] the most sports-obsessed society in the history of the world, and we’re also a nation that’s obsessed with patriotism and pride in identity” (9). The national Anthem and the flag are symbols that American people believe make someone patriotic. Professor Blackistone writes, “[Kaepernick] dare to protest in the athletic arena, where [Americans] wrap sporting events in a prophylactic of patriotism used to demand political conformity and suppress discourse” (gtd. in

Many people believe even if Kaepernick has the right of free speech, protesting the government makes him unpatriotic. Many people think Kaepernick is “vague” he does not have a clear reason to why he is protesting. Kamal Haasan states “Freedom of speech is unlike love” and “freedom of speech you must be ready to say as many things as you need to, before you say sorry” (124). People has made it clear that Kaepernick makes too much money to be protesting. He is not black so why does he care, so when people found out he was Bi-racial shouldn’t they be the one saying sorry. If black people never had equal rights, they do not have freedom of speech. Muhammad Ali used freedom of speech to rejecting going to the war and many people thought he was unpatriotic. Black Lives Matter protest have been peaceful, but people think it promote violent. Black people in Post-slavery era was tortured when they spoke against