Kneeling in the NFL - Current day protest surrounding a social issue PDF

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Prashad, 1 Jason Prashad Professor Wright WRC 1013-015 31 October 2017 Kneeling in the NFL during the National Anthem In todays’ world, the idea of having your own opinion and spreading it to others has grown tremendously when discussing various topics and ideas. How people express these topics however, has created a new wave of problems and debates on whether what is being “fought” for is right or wrong. One of the biggest ways a group of people, or one person, would express their beliefs in society today is through the use of protests. Protesting has been around since the early sixteenth century and has grown to become one of the most powerful ways in which the U.S. and other countries fight certain issues. Recently an issue has emerged in the United States with the way people are taking a stand on a global issue. The issue that has created such a controversy with the people of today is the actions of many football players in the NFL kneeling during the national anthem. Many people support the idea of them kneeling during the national anthem because it is a first amendment right and they are kneeling to spread the word against African Americans being mistreated by the police. On the other hand, others don’t support the kneeling because they say it shows disrespect to United States flag and armed forces but also it is an ineffective and counterproductive way to promote a cause. There are two major reasons why people support NFL players kneeling during the playing or singing of the national anthem. The first reason is because choosing not to stand is a freedom of choice that is protected under the First Amendment rights. During the time Colin Kaeperknick first kneeled down during the national anthem, the president at the time was Barack

Prashad, 2 Obama. As soon as Kaepernicks’ actions became noticed nationwide, President Obama came out to the public and said that he was, “Exercising his constitutional right to make a statement. I think there’s a long history of sports figures doing so” (“Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons”). Although it was a shocker for most people to see someone like a pro football player to kneel down during the national anthem, Obama disclaims the fact Kaepernick did anything wrong. Kaepernick engaged in a legal form of peaceful protest that many big-name heroic figures did in the past to speak out against something they believed in. He didn’t do anything illegal, instead he enthusiastically exercised his freedom of speech through rights guaranteed in the First Amendment. To go along with the first reason of why people support NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, the second major reason people support the NFL players doing so is because they are kneeling to make a statement against current African Americans being mistreated and abused by police officers around the nation. At the time when Colin Kaepernick decided to take the knee during the national anthem, people were greatly confused on why he was doing it. Assumptions started flaring from left to right on possible reasons why he decided to kneel during the national anthem, but Kaepernick later announced that his reason for doing so was, “To call attention to police violence and injustice in black America” (“Why Are Athletes Kneeling during the National Anthem? Here's What You Need to Know”). Instead of Kaepernick just doing it during one game, he continued to kneel before every game while the national anthem was being played. Kaepernick continuing to kneel and giving an exact reason on why he was doing it not only gained support from other NFL players, but spread and influenced players in high school to kneel during the national anthem and raise a clinched fist in the air for the same reason

Prashad, 3 Kaepernick did it before his games. In general, to protest against police brutality and bring about the issue of racial inequities. Although those were two reasons in which people supported NFL players kneeling during the playing or singing of the national anthem, a reason in which most people don’t support NFL players kneeling during the national anthem is because it shows a great amount of disrespect to the American flag and armed forces. In every event where the national anthem of any country is sung or played, everyone is told to stand up and pay homage to their designated flag and to those fighting for the country. When Kaepernick decided to kneel, those who didn’t support him doing it said it was a disrespectful action. Carole Isham, great-great-great granddaughter of Francis Scott Key, had something to say about Colin Kaepernicks’ actions. She said that, “It just blows my mind that somebody like (Kaepernick) would do what he does to dishonor the flag of this country and the national anthem when we have young men and women overseas fighting for this country” (“Athletes, Activists Spar on Kneeling National Anthem Protests”). The national anthem is a major component to society that symbolizes the United States flag and represents those who are serving or who have served in the U.S armed forces. Just like Carole Isham, people see it as disrespectful to “sit” down during the national anthem and because of that, it shows great disrespect to the flag, especially something that has given people the right to speak out in the first place. The last reason in which people don’t support NFL players kneeling during the national anthem is because a lot of them think that an action like kneeling isn’t very effective and is a counterproductive way to promote a cause. Numerous athletes and various celebrities have seen Colin Kaepernick kneel before games, while the national anthem is being played, and have their distinctive views on his way of fighting against a strong issue the United States is facing. A

Prashad, 4 current football player in the NFL, named Malcolm Jenkins, supports the message that Kaepernick is trying to spread, but said that his, “Grandfather served [in the military]. And this is a country that I love. So, me not standing for the national anthem isn’t really going to get me the results that I want” (“Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons”). A great percentage of people in this world has some affiliation with the military, either with someone serving in it or just appreciating those in the military for doing what they do, but using your occupation and team as a platform to many can be ineffective and degrading in a counterproductive by causing distractions and controversy. Kneeling isn’t the problem that these non-supporters have the problem with, but doing it during the national anthem is what people dislike and feel like there can be better ways for these athletes to promote an issue. Ever since Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel during the national anthem against the Green Bay Packers in 2016, many people in the United States and around the world have created a huge surge around his reasons behind doing so. The public within that time has greatly expressed their views on the kneeling during the national anthem issue. Athough many support NFL players kneeling during the national anthem because it’s a freedom of speech and they are kneeling to spread the word against inequality, many don’t support the kneeling because it overall shows disrespect to the troops and American flag while also being an ineffective and detrimental way to advocate a cause. Two sides were created on behalf of the kneeling during the national anthem issue, but a former Green Beret created a valuable point when he said that it is, “just not who we are, or at least who we're supposed to be,” when talking about supporting and not supporting kneeling during the national anthem (“Former Green Beret Nate Boyer Pens Letter to Donald Trump, Colin Kaepernick, USA.”). Rather than choosing sides over an issue that was supposed to solve a “hate crime” against African Americans, those who may or may not

Prashad, 5 support kneeling in the NFL, should look past the kneeling aspect and lead the way in healing and solving current issues that can help everyone today, which is the big picture in what Colin Kaepernick was trying to do and something worth thinking about every time there is that debate about supporting kneeling in the NFL.

Prashad, 6 Works Cited Aaronlmorrison. “Why Are Athletes Kneeling during the National Anthem? Here's What You Need to Know.” Mic, Mic Network Inc., 25 Sept. 2017, mic.com/articles/154349/whyare-athletes-kneeling-during-the-national-anthem-here-s-what-you-need-to-know. Chiari, Mike. “Former Green Beret Nate Boyer Pens Letter to Donald Trump, Colin Kaepernick, USA.” Bleacher Report, Bleacher Report, 13 Oct. 2017, bleacherreport.com/articles/2738524-former-green-beret-nate-boyer-pens-letter-todonald-trump-colin-kaepernick-usa. KofieYeboah. “A Timeline of Events since Colin Kaepernick’s National Anthem Protest.” The Undefeated, The Undefeated, 6 Sept. 2016, theundefeated.com/features/a-timeline-ofevents-since-colin-kaepernicks-national-anthem-protest/. “Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem: Top 3 Pros and Cons.” ProConorg Headlines, 27 Sept. 2017, www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005323. Tatum, Sophie. “Athletes, Activists Spar on Kneeling National Anthem Protests.” CNN, Cable News Network, 28 Sept. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/09/27/politics/cnn-nfl-kneeling protests-town-hall-ac360/index.html. Hoffman, Benjamin. “N.F.L. Scores: Houston Texans Kneel During Anthem in Protest.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/29/sports/nfl-scores-texans-seahawks.html....