The San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made national headlines when he refused to stand for the national anthem during a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. His decision has sparked outrage across the country. As a result, people have started calling him unpatriotic and are accusing him of disrespecting the military. Some are even calling for his resignation and, in extreme cases, are burning his jersey in protest of his protest.
What his critics don’t seem to understand is that, under the first amendment, Kaepernick has the right to peacefully protest. And that is exactly what he is doing. Remaining seated was not intended to be unpatriotic, or even disrespectful to the military. He was simply exercising his rights granted to him by the U.S Constitution; something every American citizen has the right to do and what every member of the military has fought to protect. We should all respect him and his right to remain seated during the national anthem. By telling Kaepernick that he must stand whenever “The Star-Spangled Banner” comes on, we are denying a citizen his basic rights as an American. That is something we should not stand for.
http://thebiglead.com/2015/12/07/colin-kaepernick-49ers-contract-trade/
Kaepernick’s decision to not stand up for the national anthem comes in the wake of brutality and oppression towards the black community, and that is exactly what he is protesting.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said in an interview with the NFL.
His protest is completely justified, and is bringing attention to the important issues. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement – a movement that brings awareness to issues such as racism, police brutality and white privilege – has grown in momentum over the past year. This has resulted in an increase of both peaceful and non-peaceful protests and starting conversations about issues the black community faces. Kaepernick seems to be standing – or rather sitting – in solidarity with this movement, and I highly respect that. He is using his position of fame and power to start a conversation about these issues. While the majority of the conversations are not focused on the BLM Movement but rather on how “un-American” Kaepernick is, he is still drawing attention to the issues our country faces.
While I respect Kaepernick and all that he is doing, I do wish he would go a step further. I hope that someday in the near future he takes his fame and money to the streets and does more than sit down during the national anthem. I hope he walks in protest marches or donates money to the causes he is passionate about. At the very least, I hope he continues this conversation he has started, and not let it get drowned out by the millions of people who think what he is doing is more about a flag than a social injustice.
Emily Bowers HCXOXO
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