The past few weeks have been rampant with talks from all over the internet over Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49s, and the protest he has started. During preseason NFL games, Kaepernick decided to start sitting during the national anthem, there was no media coverage, no big publicity stunt. Just a man using his freedom to convey a message.
After a few games, he was spotted by the media and that’s when things blew up in the news room. By this time, Kaepernick had gone from sitting, to taking a knee during the anthem as a way to support those who have been affected by police brutality and its prevalence among people of color in the United States and make a statement against it.
Since his initial sitting and kneeling, many players in the NFL and in sports teams of all kinds have been joining Kaepernick in this movement to bring attention to and hopefully change our current state of things.
This growing protest has been met with a protest against it however, with many saying that it’s a clear sign of disrespect and disregard for our country, our military, and those who serve in it. It is very much the norm to stand with hand over heart during either the national anthem or the pledge of allegiance. It’s basic US citizen protocol, from the time we enter grade school we know that you stand, put your hand over your heart and give the flag attention during these moments.
And that is exactly why it’s been so effective when Kaepernick does not. He’s going against what has been deemed the norm in order to shed light on something that is the norm that really shouldn’t be.
For those who say it’s unamerican, I hear you, I hear where you’re coming from, that flag means a lot to a lot of people. However, this is one of the most American things to do. To take a stand against injustice, to notice inequality and make it be seen, to use your voice in order to make positive change.
These are all things that make the United States great, the ability to, and our history in change. When we felt oppressed by the British, we created a new country founded on the idea that all people are to be equal, that in this nation we have the power of our voice, our free speech, in order to be heard.
Well Colin Kaepernick has a voice. He has a privilege to be in a position where so many people will see and hear his voice, the NFL and football culture as a whole is huge in the US and seen by millions all across the country.
He has the ability to bring the conversation about race and hate to an entirely new group of people.
He has the chance to use his freedom of speech to make a change while playing football, and that’s just about the most American thing I can think of.
