Lately, everyone — including Mr. Donald Trump — is in an uproar about people choosing to take a knee during the pledge of allegiance, including the author of an article titled “Call It What You Want, But Disrespecting The National Anthem Is Hate Speech.”
But honestly, freedom of speech and freedom to peacefully protest is a right that these people are exercising.
In the words of Colin Kaepernick, “I will not be going to stand up to show pride in a flag that oppresses black people and people of color” and, “We have a lot of people that are oppressed. We have a lot of people that aren’t treated equally, aren’t given equal opportunities. Police brutality is a huge thing that needs to be addressed. There are a lot of issues that need to be talked about, need to be brought to life, and we need to fix those.”
Instead of realizing that these issues are taking place and affecting your fellow men that you're supposed to care about, you’re only recognizing that these people who have the right to protest by taking a knee during the national anthem. But let’s take a look at the national anthem that is beloved by everyone.
The original anthem had no love for people of color. In fact, the words in the third, lesser-known stanza are:
“And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
According to Jason Johnson writing for The Root, "Key was saying that the blood of all the former slaves and “hirelings” on the battlefield will wash away the pollution of the British invaders. With Key still bitter that some black soldiers got the best of him a few weeks earlier .
"'The Star-Spangled Banner' is as much a patriotic song as it is a diss track to black people who had the audacity to fight for their freedom."
Just like now blacks are fighting for their freedom only to be yelled at, booed, jersey burned, and in recent cases assaulted by their fellow man for wanting their voices to be heard.
These players and everyday people who chose not to stand during the national anthem reserve that right. Just like we reserve the right to ask where were the justices for the victims of police brutality. Or innocents slain and officers put on paid vacation like these black people lives didn’t matter. While you’re standing enough for the both of us, I will kneel enough for the both of us. I will also take a knee for victims like:
Trayvon Martin
Eric Garner
Tamir Rice
Eric Harris
Walter Scott
Jonathan Ferrell
Sandra Bland
Samuel Dubose
Freddie Gray
Alton Sterling
And many many more people who were let down by this nation. So stand proudly because I will be kneeling proudly.
