Yes, this is another opinion about the trend of NFL players not standing during the National Anthem. Hold out until the end, though, it’s worth it.
As you probably already know, Colin Kaepernick started a tidal wave of negative reactions when he chose not to stand during the National Anthem on August 26. Although this wasn’t the first time he’d sat through the anthem, this time, he caught attention for it because of a picture on Twitter (where else?).
When asked about it after the game, Kaepernick claimed that he chose to protest in this way because of the oppression of people of color, especially in the arena of police brutality.
If you disagree with the fact that people of color (meaning anyone who is not white) experience systematic discrimination by the police, stop reading this article. Open a new tab and do your research, then come back and finish reading with a new and educated outlook.
Now that the Twitter world has had a chance to thoroughly rip Kaepernick to shreds for his protest, increasing numbers of athletes have shown the same silent opposition to standing during the anthem Although the protest doesn't appear to have begun with the intention of causing more controversy on the September 11th anniversary, it happened anyway, which I think is an issue entirely separate from Kaepernick's actions alone.
There are many angles to this story and, as someone who tries to see the good in everyone, I can reason with almost all of them.
Let’s start with Kaepernick himself, because that’s where it all began. All politics aside, this was a relatively ideal form of protesting. As a professional football player, Kaepernick took strategic advantage of the arena that would deliver his voice to the largest possible audience. No one was physically harmed, he didn’t make outlandish threats, and the game itself went on without a hitch. Considering the violent paths that most modern protests (for any movement) take to make a point or be heard, this one is pretty tame.
The opposing side of the argument represents the idea that Kaepernick’s actions are un-American and disrespectful. Although everyone is entitled to their own opinion, there are specific reasons why those arguments can’t quite stand against this protest.
First of all, what even is “American” anymore? The American ideal has changed every decade since our country’s birth, which wasn’t all that long ago. In the same way that you can’t dictate someone’s sexuality for them (which I delve into here), I don’t think it’s valid to tell someone else that they don’t embody your personal expectations for what it means to be “American.” We enjoy the freedoms we have because the Founding Fathers wanted us to be able to express our independence; differentiating yourself from others is key to being an American.
Here’s where I see the opposition’s reasoning: it’s disrespectful. The National Anthem is a choral representation of the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans, which are great in number and expansive in depth. Soldiers have fought and died for those rights, and they deserve to be honored during a song that outlines the sacrifices made to give us freedom of speech in the first place.
However, it cannot be denied that Kaepernick peacefully exercised his rights as an American by sitting during the anthem. He has the opportunity to take a stand (not literally) for people who have regularly been denied the very rights for which soldiers give their lives.
We all have equal freedoms under the Bill of Rights and if I have to sit next to a sleep-deprived caffeine addict in class who could be concealing a handgun in their backpack because of the second amendment, football players can sit during the anthem because of the first.
I’m not saying you have to like it, but you have to be fair because that’s the law. You have the freedom to rant about it on your Facebook wall, and I have the freedom to un-friend you. That is a non-violent execution of our rights as Americans, as is Colin Kaepernick's choice not to stand for the National Anthem. See how that works?
