Kneeling During the Anthem: A Modern Day Civil Rights Movement
Kneeling During the National Anthem: How it Started
Headlines are flooded with pictures of NFL, MLB, and other pro sports players kneeling at the national anthem, and the US is in the midst of an uproar. We are confused, we are angry, and we are curious. But most of all, we want answers- and not from the news reporters who claim to know it all, but from the players who choose to kneel. Colin Kaepernick, former star quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, started the groundbreaking protests. He sat down during the national anthem at an NFL game, and everyone took it as disrespect to the US flag. But Kaepernick didn’t just mean it as plain disrespect to the flag, or the country, and he even went to a Navy Seal, Nate Boyer, to ask for his thoughts on the proper way to peacefully protest. Boyer told him that kneeling, rather than just sitting (which is what Kaepernick did originally), would be more respectful, and that the military is behind his protests and what they stand for. The change to kneeling upset citizens more, and Kaepernick lost his multi-million dollar job because of his efforts to stand up for what he believed in using the platform he had. To properly inform you of what is happening here, I will explain the true reasons behind kneeling for the anthem and why it isn’t just out of dishonor for the flag. These protests have caused conflicts and violence around the world to break out as people are in an angry and confused turmoil. Everyone needs to know the real protest that is happening here to fully understand.
What are They Protesting For?
Players in the NFL recognize that they have a very large scale platform for spreading what they believe, and they’ve created one of the most well known current day protests using it.
Colin Kaepernick started these protests over his belief that people of color were victims to unnecessary police brutality, and many other players followed in his footsteps. But, what most people don’t know- or choose not to believe- is that these protests aren’t anti-American or anti-military. The players aren’t against the United States in general, they are just showing that while people’s rights are being violated and mistreated, they won’t stand for it- both literally and figuratively.
People also tend to believe that the military is strongly against these protests, but in most cases that isn’t true.
In fact, a 97 year old veteran of World War 2 from right here in Willard, Missouri supports the kneeling players. “Those kids have every right to protest,” he said, along with a picture his grandson took of him kneeling. Thousands of people on twitter responded to the tweet, and other veterans and soldiers spoke up as well. Family members of those fallen said that their relatives would have “taken a knee today too”
Navy veteran Jeff Dyche tweeted, “If you think I joined the Navy so NFL football players can kneel in protest of racial injustice, you would be correct. Take a knee.”
Jeffrey Correa, an air force veteran, said, “I’m a veteran and I’m proud to have fought for your right to take the knee. A flag and an anthem are meaningless without values behind them.”
David Chasteen, a soldier, said, “Served in combat multiple times. I never did anything as brave as take a knee nor as likely to fulfill the promise of justice for all.”
Many other tweets gave positive attention to the cause. But, despite this, many people only focus on the negative appearance of the protests. If you don’t look further towards what is happening here, it’s easy to get the wrong impression. And that is what started the cultural war that is devouring our country.
Why is the Country at a Cultural War?
As the players choose to kneel in protest or stand during the national anthem, the spectators all have their own opinions.
But people aren’t looking deep enough into the protests to fully understand. If you don’t have all the facts, can you really form a true opinion? Those against say that they disagree because our country and our military is being disrespected, but as I’ve explained that’s just not true. Racism and brutality are what’s being argued here, and no one really knows what they believe or what side to be on because they aren’t properly informed. Violence and arguments are being sparked around the country due to the lack of knowledge, and it’s dangerous to everyone involved.
Violence as a Result
The most notable example of arguments over kneeling is in Cleveland, Ohio. Just nine days after the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, 13 players on the Cleveland Brown NFL team participated in a major protest during the anthem. After this, the Cleveland Police Department said that they disapproved of the Browns’ actions. But, some officers, including Chief of Police Calvin D, Williams, said that not all officers are against participating in protests involved with the Browns team. The department was divided, and so were citizens.
These protests are causing people to find out what side their loyalties belong to. To properly be able to do this, they have to know that players who kneel are not protesting the US, but racial profiling. They also have to understand that when players kneel, they aren’t intending to disrespect the flag or what it stands for.
These words from John F. Kennedy perfectly sum up the plight of those kneeling for the anthem, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.”
