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The NFL Strikes Back

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MNSU chapter.

 

NFL teams and owners compelled by President Donald Trump’s words. Kneeling during a national anthem: An issue that is traveling fast.

There has been some controversy on the issue of kneeling v.s. standing during the anthem of an NFL football game. This issue all started over a year ago when Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel during the national anthem because of disrespect towards minorities, along with police brutality, etc.

Good idea? Bad idea?

Everyone has their own opinions on this subject of the matter.

Colin Kaepernick used the national anthem to try to make people understand his emotions to inequality, police brutality, and racial injustice. Now the president, and many other people along with him, are making it about the anthem. In reality, his protest was just about getting his point across, rather than being “anti-military” and not caring about “the fundamentals of the country.”

This issue has risen in the last couple weeks. Our President, Donald Trump, had a few words to say about this matter.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,'” Trump said.

Now, Donald Trump is known for his ability to manipulate his words and thoughts. They way his speech was spoken made the NFL team and their owners feel compelled to do something about it.  

Every single NFL team did something in reaction to Trump’s speech. Some teams were so upset, they didn’t even step out of the locker room to be present for the national anthem. Some teams decided to kneel, locking arms together. Some decided to stand while locking arms together.

Saints coach Sean Payton stated: “I’m disappointed in the comments that were made. I think we need a little bit more wisdom in that office,” he said of the White House. “I want that guy to be one of the smarter guys in the room and it seems like every time he’s opening up his mouth it’s something that is dividing our country and not pulling us together.”

Now, In my opinion, there are serious problems that are going to continue to arise with this issue. We, as people of the United States, all need to listen and understand what is going on within our country. Do we all need to agree? No. Although we do need to listen, because these NFL teams kneeling with arms conjoined – they are sending us a message, and they are united. We need to listen to what they are saying to us, and what they are trying to get out without using their voices.

Sammy is what you would call a Student Solider. She is in the Army and also a Senior at MNSU. Her major is Mass Media and her minor is Communication Studies. She is from Cottage Grove, MN and enjoys her weekends in the cities. She enjoys being the Her Campus MNSU Chapters Campus Correspondent and also Young Life. She wishes that fall season was year round, but living in Minnesota she will have deal with all the seasons it brings.