In week three of the NFL games, according to CBS, over 200 football players knelt during our national Anthem. There has been a split response in our country on whether if this is disrespectful or if it is just the football players right to protest. I do think that this event would have been disrespectful if the players did not have a particular reason as to why they knelt, but, they have a reason so I agree with them kneeling. Throughout this essay, you will read how the kneeling is not about disrespect for our veterans but rather because the players feel oppressed by our country.
So, why exactly are the NFL players kneeling during the anthem? According to Colin Kaepernick’s opinion, he states that, “I’m not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Kaepernick is the first who knelt and his reasoning is not something people should use against him. Think of it from his perspective, why stand for a flag that represents our country when our country does not treat colored people very justly? It is his freedom of speech given to him (and everyone else) by the first amendment of the Constitution. Even an American Politician, Jackson Lee, agrees with
his protest by saying, “I kneel because the flag is a symbol of freedom. I kneel because I am going to stand against racism.” Again, this is not at all about disrespect for our country. It’s just a protest for better freedom in this country. Though, our president says otherwise.
This protest was not even a big event until the Donald Trump started to state his opinions. Like Bob Costas has said, “What’s happened here is that what was already an issue, raised primarily by Colin Kaepernick’s valid point, has now become universal with the president’s insulting remarks.” Trump has said that the felt that the NFL players who knelt should have been fired, of course they did not get fired but that’s besides the point. More than half of the Americans agree with Trump because it is not about Trump being against anyone, it’s about standing for something by honoring the flag, the national anthem, and men and women who have fought to defend it. Trump goes along with this by stating, “This has nothing to do with race. I never said anything about race. This has nothing to race or anything else. This has to do with respect for our country and respect for our flag.” The thing is, this has everything to do with race and nothing to do with respect. The NFL players did not set out to purposely disrespect the flag but rather to protest the fact that this country is not completely fair towards African Americans and other ‘colored’ skin people. It’s kind of insane how blind Trump is to do situation. Again, like Costas has said, “Do you want a president of the United States who, even if you’re giving them the benefit of doubt, is so tone deaf to the racial implications of this?”
In conclusion, this is not some mere disrespect that NFL players are showing, this event is a protest for a better country. We should all realize the importance of this protest because if we don’t have a completely free and fair country, then why do we have a flag? Our flag is a symbol of freedom. If people feel oppressed, then they should be able to stand up for their freedom without any backlash from anyone else. Everyone has the right to their freedom of speech.