Anthem kneeling is respectful and peaceful
November 7, 2017
It is fine to take a knee as long as a person is respectful and protests peacefully. We can see that the kneeling NFL players are doing just that.
The whole controversy really started with police beating up and killing black people, which is obviously unacceptable. Colin Kaepernick actually began the anthem protest by sitting on the bench during the national anthem, not kneeling. He worked with former NFL player and Green Beret Nate Boyer to find a compromise after Boyer contacted him and shared his viewpoint. Kaepernick decided to kneel instead of sit. He said in an interview that he changed his method to “show more respect to U.S. military members.”
Everything exploded in mid-September because of U.S. President Donald Trump. At a Huntsville rally on September 22, he asked the crowd, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that [expletive] off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired!’” These remarks rekindled the whole anthem issue, with over 200 players from all 32 teams sitting, taking knees, or holding arms.
Trump’s comments still affect the NFL today, as a group of players still kneel and the major broadcasters (NBC, ESPN, FOX, CBS) have stopped filming the national anthem all together. This shouldn’t be a big deal anymore.
Most people understand that the protests are about racial injustice and not about disrespecting the flag. Kneeling is fine as a peaceful protest.
Kacee Wells • Nov 15, 2018 at 1:05 pm
I would have to disagree. In my opinion it is not disrespectful, but I fell like their is a better time to protest something like this. Most people are not looking to watch a protest when they go to a football game. I do however respect their right to freedom of speech. By the way I am the opinion editor and we put articles like this in the sports section because that’s where it belongs. This is about sports, it’s about football.
Abdi.H • Nov 15, 2018 at 9:06 am
Colin Kaepernick was doing the right thing kneeling. It’s a peaceful protest and he is protected by the 1st Amendment to protest.
Brady c • Jan 22, 2018 at 9:05 am
Um, yea. If this article belongs anywhere it would be in the opinions. It is a opinion that anthem kneeling is respectful and peaceful. It is an opinion that police beating up black people is unacceptable. And this article really says nothing about sports.
Anon • Mar 10, 2018 at 7:46 pm
Thank you! I totally agree. When the title is an opinion and it’s in the sports section something is wrong.
Sombody you don't know • Nov 26, 2017 at 8:42 pm
Let me ask you a few things. #1 Why do you think cops are shooting black people, Is it cuz of the fact that they have been reaching for guns? Cops have rights, if somebody is reaching for a gun, The cop has every right to defend himself and have the right to shoot. #2 It is not just black people being shot by police, Look at the case of Officer Mohamed Noor, who shot a White women after calling the police after she called 911 after hearing gun shots, when then the cop shot her. #3 Under the 1st amendment right people have every right to protest, also Look at the 2nd amendment it says everyone has the right to bear arms and defend themselves with a firearm and that means that what the cops did in most of those cases is okay, they are defending themselves when somebody reaches for a firearm.
From, Somebody you don’t know
Lane • Nov 17, 2017 at 12:03 pm
Great article! Very professional!