“I truly respect our players wanting to speak out and change the community. We want them to use that voice,” stated NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, praising what he called a “movement of protest to progress”. Colin Kaepernick was a San Francisco 49ers quarterback when he started this protest in August of 2016. He was protesting the unfair and harsh treatment of people of color from police. Kaepernick started by sitting on the bench during the national anthem, but his protest went unnoticed until Kaepernick later changed to kneeling on the sideline during the song which gained much more attention. Majority of NFL players and associates joined in with Colin Kaepernick to protest against police brutality to people of color in America. Even through …show more content…
Football teams have come together and rightfully protested, for the US is continuing to mistreat people. It is not right for the players to ignore the current state of the country and not do something about the horrible treatment of others. Representatives from the Seattle Seahawks stated,“We will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of color in this country... Out of love for our country and in honor of the sacrifices made on our behalf, we unite to oppose those that would deny our most basic freedoms” (Hafner 2017). Clearly the current situation is one that is hard to be ignored because the players are not taking this lightly and feel the need to do something about it. Segregation against people of color is ridiculous at this point, so the players should have the right to do something about it. Although, the protest has gained much hate, the players realize that they are doing the right thing for the country, weather other people realize it or not. Meanwhile the teams coming together, Kaepernick is protesting as a movement to stand up for unfair treatment and do his part to not look the other way and ignore reality. As Colin Kaepernick said, “I'm not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses …show more content…
Word will get around about this issue quicker, since this protest is going on through the organization, proving that it is a fitting platform for protest. That said, there are many more reasons that NFL players should continue their protest. Due to the fact that there is no consequences for their protesting, they have the right to protest as they see fit. For instance, as a NFL spokesman stated, “Players will not be punished for breaking a league rule that says they must appear on the sidelines during the national anthem” (Hafner 2017). According the players have every right to protest because the NFL is obviously not against it. Since stricter consequences would be put into rule, it is obvious that the association stands by the protest. By the spokesman saying there is no punishment, it ultimately shows that the organization agrees with the players reasoning and gives them every right to protest. Numerous people still disagree with the players kneeling during the national anthem, it is obvious that the benefits of the protest outweighs the
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.
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.
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.
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
On August 27, 2016, Steven Wyche, a media reporter for the National Football League, wrote a story about San Francisco Forty-Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Kaepernick’s choice in acting on a movement to oppose racial discrimination of minorities. Wyche’s story was published through the NFL for the public eye to view. Kaepernick has been refusing stand for the national anthem. Not only does Wyche cover Kaepernick’s controversial actions, but Wyche takes a stand for Kaepernick himself.
When kneeling during the anthem, people disrespect those who have and still do fight for our freedom in the United States. The flag represents our freedom, which is what those who serve risk their lives for. According to USA TODAY, “NFL viewing ratings are down 5% from last year.” This could lead to decreased pay checks because they won’t receive money from the viewers.
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 reason why it is meaningful to me because as a young black male who witness/was part of the injustice to African American people in my lifetime I understand the struggles of living in America. It is a difficult as well as an unfortunate part of life where people judge you by the color of your skin, where certain groups of people of different color are put into a racial stereotyping profile instead of just trying to get know the individual, not believing the negative stereotypes about that affected group and seeing them as just a unique human being as they are. When I started to grow up I notice patterns of mostly white police officers hunting down black men and people of color and killing them in cold blood as if to say that their lives
For many years, America continues to have a strong and powerful pride for law enforcement, because they protect many people. However, Colin Kaepernick represents the minorities that don’t have a chance to speak their thoughts. During the last preseason game, Kaepernick remained seated during The Star-Spangled Banner, because of racial discrimination. Although many people disagree with his protest, the author also believed his actions had a meaningful cause, which didn’t harm himself or anyone else. Many Americans were able to see his message about discrimination.
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.
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.
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,
Issues of racial injustices have been a problem in the United States throughout generations. Athletes have always had their opinions on racial issues and have never seemed to hesitate to speak their mind. Recently Colin Kaepernick has been sitting out of the National Anthem to protest for “black lives matter.” The representation of race in the Article, Tommie Smith, iconic 1968 Olympics activist, defends Colin Kaepernick’s protest, by Nancy Armour, is a modern way to protest the racial injustices our country has been facing. Colin Kaepernick is simply standing up for what he believes in. It’s easy to say that he’s even following in the shoes of Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Smith, and Carlos in their stances on racial issues. Critics of Colin
Colin Kapernick and one of his teammates were the first to kneel during the National Anthem during their last preseason game in 2016. This started a massive protest in the NFL and in other professional sports as well. Players around the country are kneeling, sitting, or raising a fist to protest how black people are treated by law enforcement. I do not agree with Kapernick or the other athletes who are kneeling during the National Anthem because they are disrespecting our country and flag as a whole, and it is hurting the game of football. First, Kapernick and other players are disrespecting our country and flag as a whole.
Peaceful protest in sports have also become common in the past 2-3 years. While not a new idea, the popularity and attractiveness of peaceful protesting during sporting events came along when San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a seat during the playing of the national anthem during a preseason game in 2016. Immediately, photos of him surfaced on social media spots like Twitter and Facebook, and he grasped the limelight of media attention after he addressed the media after the game. After this, he would go on to take a knee during games going forward, and eventually wound up getting cut from the team, and currently is out of a job in the NFL. The reason for Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem was that he wasn’t going to stand for a country that was discriminatory, particularly against African-Americans regarding police brutality.