The saying goes, “you have to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything," but is this really the case when it comes to today’s society? Colin Kaepernick, the NFL 49ers quarterback, has received major backlash from many individuals, including various social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by protesting against the national anthem. When speaking out against the rising uproar he stated, “I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people among other minorities."
Approaching the subject of racial classification and how society chooses to turn a blind eye on previous tragedies is such a sensitive topic that instead of finding the root of the problem they choose to avoid the topic as a whole. By protesting against the pledge, Kaepernick feels like he’s creating positive insight on the way people go about the adversities being faced among minorities. Society continuously shows discrimination within the minority culture when experiencing criminal arrests, employment rates, prosecutions due to criminal offenses, housing options and the way America tends to go about a plethora of other matters. The sensitive topics which are experienced daily by individuals of certain races need to be taken seriously. As a whole, we need to stop picking and choosing when to notice and take action to selective topics and begin to bring about change in problems that are arising and creating chaos on a day to day basis.
Many have their own opinion about the way Kaepernick chose to go about the matters at hand. Some people reject change and choose to accept the social norms put in by the society we live in because they don’t want to see the world progress. The growth of diversity is seen differently in one’s perspective that may disagree with your values or beliefs. Some see the growth of minorities as a positive revitalization while others see the increase as a digressing shift in European values. Maybe a change is what is acquired for the modern generation as we notice many ethics and morals change constantly till this very day.
When reviewing recent events that continuously occur, there has been a pattern in the way society tends to deal with controversial issues that should be modified in a hasty manner. There has been many such as President Obama, NFL players, and fans who have stood along with Kaepernick and has chosen to be a voice for the silent. According to the Census Bureau, as of 2015 minorities make up 36.6 percent of the population and by 2042 non-Hispanic whites are predicted to become a minority. What will happen when the majority becomes a minority? A change should begin now while we have a chance to create a positive voice and change the horrific events going on in our very own community. Will you be the change like Colin Kaepernick and take a stand for something you believe in or will you fall and fail to better the reoccurring problems that threaten to divide and desolate over nation’s people?
