Many players in the NFL are beginning to kneel for the national anthem. Last season, San Francisco’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick started to protest by taking a knee while “The Star-Spangled Banner” was playing. I think that when people kneel for the national anthem, it is unpatriotic to our nation because not only is standing for the anthem about representing the United States Of America, but it is also about giving thanks to all the people who fought for our freedom.

When Colin Kaepernick took a knee, he was protesting the violence between police officers and African Americans. He was upset because the police officers were killing African Americans. On the first game that he took a knee during the national anthem, fans noticed and started booing him. The whole rest of that season Kaepernick took a knee. After that not many people even noticed, but lately a lot of other NFL players have started to take knees during the national anthem. Lately, they have been protesting President Trump’s newest comments about them taking knees.

While I understand why they are taking knees and protesting, here is why kneeling during our national anthem is unpatriotic. When you stand, you give thanks to our nation and to our men and women who have fought for our freedom. You also acknowledge and give thanks to our nation’s flag.

President Trump’s latest comments about the players kneeling for the national anthem were, frankly, a little overboard. Trump called them names and said they should all be fired. He thinks that they shouldn’t be able to kneel and that they should stand, and I agree. But we all live in America, and in America, you are free to make your own decisions, so if they want to kneel and protest the comments of Trump they should be able to.

The United States Of America is a free country. Although it is unpatriotic to kneel for our national anthem, players should be able to do so.