There is an outrage spreading throughout social media. It all started with one man kneeling during the national anthem, Colin Kaepernick. Now various NFL players follow behind Colin Kaepernick in refusing to stand during the national anthem. They are receiving backlash from fans and even the president for their actions. I believe there is no need for the backlash. The protest is done in a peaceful manner, it raises awareness, and it represents what they believe. Colin Kaepernick along with the rest of the protesters are not doing it to disrespect the nation. They want to raise awareness for the number of killings involving an unarmed black person being murdered by a police officer. In “Eric Reid: Why Colin Kaepernick and I Decided to Take a Knee”, Eric Reid states “It …show more content…
In “NFL players protesting the flag need Protesting 101” Hillyer Quin states “Not that the pigs' blood or the burned gay-pride flag actually hurt anybody physically. But the feelings of the Muslims or homosexuals would be so wounded, according to the Left, that the blood-spatterers and flag-shredders should be not just criticized but punished.” Additionally he says although the protest does not affect others physically, it does affect them emotionally. I disagree because as I mentioned before, the protesters attempt to show respect through kneeling. Since no one is taking physical action it is being seen as a waste of time. In “American sniper's wife Taya Kyle: An open letter to the NFL” Taya Kyle states “On the other hand, funding the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, building a team and rolling up my sleeves to get in the trenches during my “off time” -- volunteering there outside of my paying jobs -- has proven to make real change.” Additionally she says standing around doing nothing about the situation will not solve the problem. I disagree because spreading the word about a situation can make also make a difference. In
First of all, kneeling the National Anthem is an ineffective and, counterproductive way to promote a cause. Knelling for the National Anthem isn't going to change anything besides lowering the rates on TV and getting negative comments online. Football coach Dabu Swinney said "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." Patti Armstrong States that" you don’t get respect from showing disrespect." Philadelphia Eagles support the protest but disagree with the way he did so. Kneeling for the National Anthem is not a proper way to protest police brutality for colored ("Refusing"). These are some of the few reasons kneeling for the national anthem is an ineffective way of protesting.
players around the NFL. The number of athletes that protested would increase from a couple on each team to nearly all of them. With the only exception being, the Dallas Cowboys. Who as a team took a knee prior to the anthem, but would all stand during it. This was due to the owner Jerry Jones why has said that no player will sit or take a knee on his team or he would cut them, but more on that later. Then there was one other person that would not join his team in protest. That person was Pittsburgh Steelers player Alejandro Villanueva. Who is a former United States Army Ranger.
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
It is disrespectful to kneel during the national anthem because it disrespects the military and veterans, and could be done in a more professional way. I feel that kneeling shows how unappreciative those NFL players are. They get to go play the most popular sport in America for millions of dollars. There should be some consequences from taking this action. This protest could be done in a more professional way.
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
The Star Spangled Banner is a sacred song in the United States of America. It not only is a symbol of the fight that soldiers have had to go through, but also a representation of freedom. When the National Anthem plays out of respect for our country, and those who fought for it, everyone is supposed to stand and remove their hats. Currently in the National Football League (NFL) there is a handful of players, mainly African Americans, that have been taking a knee or raising a fist during the play of our National Anthem. This I believe, is a great sign of disrespect for our country and our veterans. This I believe, is very immature and unnecessary. This I believe, should be put to a stop by the NFL and the players should be ashamed of himself for doing this. I am aware that the players have the right to do this, but there are many reasons why this should not be taking place.
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,
This is why many people should take advantage of that instead of disrespecting it. Such as you have the right to state your opinion or vote. You also have a chance to create your own path in life rather than being told what is required of you. Another reason why players shouldn’t shame the flag is because politics shouldn’t be involved in sports. The whole reason why families enjoy going to live games or even watching them on tv Sunday evening is to have fun, not to have to listen to others boo each other during the pledge , which really is just as disrespectful as kneeling. Besides, why should it have to be taken to the extreme to which is now our president having to get involved and take action, such as threatening players that they might lose their job? Some players, more than likely, wouldn't be able to afford to lose this high of a paying job. Most importantly, the final reason why players should pay their respects to our flag is because every second of everyday brave, courageous men and women risk their lives to save ours from any and all foreign enemies. From minor battles and skirmishes to worldwide combat, our military is always on their feet; whether they are in the US, Iraq, or halfway around the world they never back down. Our service doesn’t care what race or religion you are. They fight for our country, they don’t trudge onto the field and announce we will be fighting for the whites in our country, now do
Freedom is granted to everyone in the United States, and kneeling or locking arms during the national anthem should not be considered something wrong. In the article, “Trump responds to NFL protests: 'Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable” by Caroline Kenny, states logical reasons and numerous quotes to support this topic. Therefore, this topic should
America, a country based on the freedom to openly display the many beliefs of its citizens, has began to face opposition from the citizens which the country fights every day trying to protect. Against all odds, worshipers are still free to worship and spread the knowledge of one's religion. American freedoms according to the Constitution of Independence are a countries natural God given rights. Regardless of nationality, everyone is entitled to the liberties and freedoms America allows. Thousands of soldiers are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to keep these freedoms alive. Standing with one's hat off and right hand over one's heart is the way that American citizens respects these soldiers and their families. Although denying these expectations are completely legal, many people do not believe it is acceptable. In fact, living in a free country everyone is expected to uphold these ideological views. The American flag is a very personified object to the American population. While the flag is only material it holds the idea of the American dream. Highly regarded celebrities are now openly refusing to conform to these expectations due to how a certain race is being treated. No matter how many people
The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed and reaffirmed that the right to desecrate the flag is included in the Constitution’s protection of speech. Flag burning and desecration is offensive precisely because it is political. Experience shows that the way to fight political expression with which one disagrees is not to outlaw it, as Congress has repeatedly sought to do, but to express disapproval. The US flag is sometimes burnt as a symbol of protest, often against the policies of the American government. The flag can also be used in other symbolic ways, such as wearing it in an offensive manner or, as in this case, displaying it
The American flag and national anthem are symbols of unity, freedom, and sacrifice. They represent the values and principles the United States was founded upon. In recent years, the act of kneeling during the national anthem has become a controversial issue. Some people believe kneeling is appropriate and justified, while others strongly believe it is disrespectful. Drew Brees, former quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, spoke out in saying, “‘Not just those in the military, but for that matter, those throughout the civil rights movements of the ‘60s, and all that has been endured by so many people up until this point.
The Second Amendment gives people of the United States the right to "peaceably assemble," and protesters are just using this right as a means of working for change. The protesters are showing their disapproval for a law but, they are still following the law by being peaceful. Thoreau set the example for peaceful, public protest when he refused to pay a tax. He simply wrote a letter that said, "I, Henry Thoreau, do not wish to be regarded as a member of any incorporated society that I have not joined." People who march in protest are simply doing the same thing as Thoreau. Those who oppose public protests believe that large public demonstrations inevitably cause property damage. However, the vast majority of peaceful protesters respect property — they only want to draw attention to injustice, not cause problems for other
While all Americans have the right to protest, that does not mean we can do whatever we want in protests. It is possible to make change while practicing nonviolence, but modern-day protests often fail to stay peaceful. People are getting injured, and many Americans are afraid of what is happening. You may think you do not have to worry if you live far away from protests that have happened, but protests have been popping up everywhere. It does not matter where protests have happened before; they can still come to the town you live in, and you never know if there will be violence. But maybe I am just a sixteen year old that is overly worried about everything, and maybe all of my ideas are rubbish. If I were you I probably would not believe me either. But nobody believed Einstein when he said that gravity could bend light, and it, in fact, can. Of course, I am nowhere near as smart as Albert Einstein, and this has nothing to do with
Ironically, it was stated that President Trump united many Americans in these protests as the nation is very much divided on the thoughts pertaining to these issues. Peaceful resistance towards laws and decisions made by the government can be a good thing. These demonstrations helped to exemplify why the United States is called the land of the free; anyone can speak their mind without fear of government punishment or penalty. However, taking caution is never out of the question in matters such as these because there are many radicals who have simple desires to ignite chaos and violence, prompting