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.
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.
compassion they might need in their reason for protesting? NFL players kneeling during our National Anthem is showing how Americans have the ability to exercise their right to have a voice and that should give no reason to allow such a disrespect towards it like what has been seen throughout our country
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.