“Should You Stand up For What is Right?” I have strong convictions that enable me to believe that not standing for the national anthem is disrespectful in a number of ways. Louis Lane led me to believe that not standing for the national anthem is insulting to veterans, men, and women in the armed forces. The national anthem’s purpose is to show your respect for the people who have worked for your freedom, but people are turning it into an abomination. In the article, “Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons” by Lane, she encapsulates the essence of how not standing for the national anthem is disrespectful, and a distraction. Primarily, not standing for the National Anthem shows a lack of respect in many ways. We have men fighting and risking their lives over the world just for America’s freedom. Colin Kaepernick, a NFL quarterback, was sitting for the national anthem. After talking to a Marine, the Marine persuaded Kaepernick to kneel during the anthem. Kaepernick's act of disrespecting veterans showed other pro athletes to stand up for what is right. Pro teams are linking arms or kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner now. For example, Megan Rapinoe a MLS player out of Redding, CA kneeled during the national anthem. Because of her actions, the people of Redding took down her street sign. They then …show more content…
As the football coach of Clemson University states “I don’t think it’s good to be a distraction to your team. I don’t think it’s good to use your team as the platform”. If you want to protest, protest on your own time. Jerry Jones owner of the Dallas Cowboys does not support anyone who does not stand for the national anthem. He once stated “Anyone who does not want to stand for the national anthem, tell me, so I can right your last
In John McCain’s essay “Veterans Day: Never forget their duty” he talks about his friend ,Mike, who was in the same prison camp as he was in and showed the pride that he and his fellow prisoners had for their flag. The American Flag is the most iconic symbol of America and to express pride for The American Flag is to show pride in America itself. On page 7 paragraph 8 “Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang MIke’s shirt on the wall of our cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know that saying the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important or meaningful part of our day now, but I can assure you that for those men in that stark prison cell, it was, indeed, the most important and meaningful event of our day”. John McCain shares with us that the most important part of their day was to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
In Anthem there are so many rules and controls, yet there is one that truly rises above it all. And that word is “I”. There is no “I” only “We”, for the great “We” is what they follow. And they are one not individual, they are one. And poor Equality can’t seem to understand that the rules are rules, but in a way he’s making his own rules. And he is mistreated for his looks and appearance and dosen’t seem really one with his brothers. And he’s curious and most don’t even question life, and he notices the little things, “Yet as we stand at night in the great hall, removing our garments for sleep, we look upon our brothers and we wonder. The heads of our brothers are bowed. The eyes of our brothers are dull, and never do they look one another in the eyes. The shoulders of our brothers are hunched, and their muscles are drawn, as if their bodies were shrinking and wished to shrink out of sight. And a word steals into our mind, as we look upon our brothers, and that word is fear.”(Rand 46). He has a wanting to learn and build his knowledge, but the rules don’t permit his decisions.
The group of people that have taken the most offense to the protest are soldiers in the military. 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 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.
Our National Anthem Many Americans are familiar with the first verse of the poem The Defense of Fort McHenry but not by that name. Over the years since it was written, The Defense of Fort McHenry has become a part of American culture.
It stands for our freedom, it protects the amendments, the flag is a symbol of everything we stand for and everything you believe in as an American and if you believe black people are not treated equally you have the right to protest however you so choose. “First Amendment We have the freedom of [Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, Petition” Therefore people can say and protest whatever they want under the first
The freedom of speech is granted in the First Amendment of the Constitution. In Case 1, the players of a NFL team who were dismissed and fired for kneeling during the Pledge of Allegiance cannot sue the NFL for violation of freedom of speech. The reason why the players couldn’t sue the NFL, is because the NFL is a private company. This means that there is no state action involved, so they do not have a case. In Case 2, players on a private school football team is removed, because they were kneeling during the Pledge of Allegiance. The players can’t sue the school for violating their speech rights, because the students are in a private school and not in a public school. This means that there is no case, due to no state action being involved.
Recently, there has been a debate over NFL athletes refusing to stand for the national anthem as an appropriate form of protest. Although many celebrity athletes are using this protest as a way for publicly expressing the issues of police brutality and racial inequality, kneeling when our national anthem is being played is not an appropriate form of protest. First, refusing to stand for the national anthem shows disrespect for the flag and members of the armed forces ("Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons"). If it weren’t for our military, navy, air force, police, etc. then an athlete may not have the ability to play a sport professionally. The national anthem plays respect to those veterans and current officers who
In the 2016 NFL preseason, Colin Kaepernick caught the nation's attention by refusing to stand during the playing of the National Anthem. Thus began the debate and divide between what is "right" and "wrong". He claims to be sitting because he is protesting police brutality and social injustice in our country. People have been shocked and offended by his message and his way of going about it. Not only is he disrespecting the armed forces of this nation, but he is causing infuriation and division within the American people. Protests such as the one taking place with Kaepernick are abusing their right for freedom of speech and should be banned from the field of play in all sports in America to preserve the respect that is due.
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.
... when showing your support. Express the way you feel no matter how you demonstrate it because you are in all your rights. People can not violate your freedom of speech because you are not doing any harm to others around you. It is a free world where you can wear and speak out what is right. The students from Des Moines Independent Community School District have taught that no one can stop you from doing the right thing.
Most of the time when someone is being interviewed, they do not let anything disrupt them. Usain Bolt, a runner from Jamaica, was being interviewed when the National Anthem started being played and he stopped the interview so he could hear the Anthem being played. To me, that is something that every American should do when the Anthem starts playing. Also, when there is an important event going on that is bigger than just the town, there are many people that bring the American Flag with them to hold up and dance around with, and that is an act that an American would
I’ve lol been standing for the pledge of allegiance since I was in elementary and never really understood why. Freedom of speech, you say what you want, when you want, and how you want to. It’s your right to stand up or not. “People die for our country.” “Sign of respect for the country we live in.” “Take pride in being an American.” How can we be proud to be American if it only brings negative stereotypes to everyone’s head, it has never been what it preaches to be. Being American is actually embarrassing. Just because I was born here doesn 't mean I have undying loyalty to America, being American means nothing to me, to be truthful.
Can you imagine if you served your country, and our citizens don't show any respect to the country? Many people have been protesting the flag and the country. They are doing this by kneeling during the National Anthem, turning their back to the flag and sitting or not participating in the Anthem. These athletes and people need to understand where there are living and that they need to respect the Flag,soldiers and the country because the United States might start setting some rules that you have to respect our country or you leave. Also this creates drama across the world which is not good. Instantly, people think because this is a free country they aren't forced to do anything. However, soldiers choose to serve for our country so we can have a safe
By abandoning the situational norm to stand for the anthem, regardless of whether their actions are respectful or not, they are calling a sizable amount of attention to the issue and using their status as a platform for change. Even on smaller scales, boycotts of products or events in communities can lead to change. If a high school has put in place a new rule that the students view as unfair or a hindrance to their daily life, believe me, the students will make every possible effort to ignore the rule to convince the administration to change it. Although the grand scheme is insignificant, my school introduced new codes this year that made leaving at lunch nearly impossible when for the past two years, it has been incredibly simple and painless.
In September, in the year of 1918, people started singing the Star Spangled Banner for the first time at sports events and since then, it has become a tradition. Many sing the National Anthem show their allegiance or pride for their country. Some say we should continue with the tradition because it proves our love for and devotion to our country. However, America is a melting pot. Since many today now consider themselves world citizens and don’t adhere to strictly American traditions, maybe the song is not relevant for our day. People should discontinue singing the National Anthem at sporting events because it conveys a symbol of war - not sports, it has nothing to do with our day, and not everyone sings the National Anthem.