If you have been living under a rock for the past week, there is new controversy and this time it is all about the NFL. Recently, many players from different teams are petitioning the national anthem by kneeling while it is playing. This trend isn't new, but is certainly gaining popularity and is making many fans furious.
Where did this all start? Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel at a San Francisco 49ers versus Dallas Cowboys game on October 2, 2016. He was protesting police brutality and racial inequality. This act sparked controversy but faded into the distance until last week.
Like a normal day in America, Trump decided to take to Twitter to express his disinterest for a new topic: the National Football League and the players who chose to kneel. He tweeted out numerous opinions, stating that, "The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag, and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!"
Players were offended and decided to protest just like Kaepernick. Many teams knelt during their Week 4 games. Almost the whole team went together to kneel. Six Seattle Seahawks even SAT while the National Anthem was played. Along with them, Marshawn Lynch of the Oakland Raiders sat while his team stood, and the Denver Broncos all stood. Besides Brandon Marshall who went halfway and raised a fist to the air. Unlike the rest of the league, the Tennessee Titans stayed in the locker room for the National Anthem, in order to avoid the potentiality of the protest.
Nonetheless, Trump is right, for once.
We have been taught in school to stand up, with our hand on our heart during the National Anthem. It was a sign of respect to our country and those fighting for the freedoms that we neglect to realize that we possess. Growing up, I was taught that I shall do nothing else while the National Anthem is playing beside stand with my hand on my heart.
To see someone not put their hand on their heart during the anthem is controversial and disheartening. It's a simple sign of respect. If you love your country and are proud to be where you are, you should honor it correctly.
It's even worse to see someone who is privileged enough to be able to play a sport and get paid, kneel. Don't you have any respect for your country? Not every moment is a chance to boycott what is happening in the world instead of actually doing something about it. If you are such an advocate for those affected by police brutality, visit its victims' families and speak on behalf of them. It is not time to show off. The National Anthem is a time to reflect on all the freedoms that we have, that no others do. It is also the time to think about the military men and women who have died or risked their lives so that we can keep these freedoms.
Overall, sports should never be political, but yet they have since the beginning and probably always will. We tend to put politics in everything. Maybe that is why fewer and fewer Americans are proud of their country, along with given these players the idea that they can protest a large aspect of American history.
SEE ALSO: Sports And Politics Have ALWAYS Mixed
The point of this article is to show the other side of the protest; the side many disagree with. I personally agree with this side. The players should respect the National Anthem and what it stands for. If they want to show that they are true Americans, the should stand with the rest of their country. They may be protesting issues such as police brutality and racial inequality (issues that we already know are issues, and don't really need anymore protest for, but need social fighters who will actually do something about them), but they fail to think of the true meaning of the anthem. They are hurting their fans, and especially those that have given up their lives to enlist into the military to protect the lives of the players.
In the end, this is merely opinion, but an opinion that I hope all think about.
