Argumentative Essay: I Love America

In the past few months, discussion has risen within the nation over players kneeling during the national anthem at football games. The first to kneel was Colin Kaepernick back in 2016. He wanted to bring attention to the issue of police brutality against people of color throughout the United States. Opposers believe that Kaepernick, and other football players who have followed his lead, have disrespected

Kneeling for the national anthem is a legal form of protesting, which is a First Amendment right. Our forty-fourth president, Barack Obama stated that “Colin Kaepernick was exercising his constitutional right to make a statement. I think there’s a long history of sports figures doing so.” The First Amendment right helps the national anthem protest because it supports players to exercise their constitutional right. Not only NFL players kneel in protest, but people outside of football or any sports still kneel in protest. They are not on football fields or kneeling during the anthem. For example, Stevie Wonders has kneeled on his own time, on a stage and not during the anthem.

Not just because it flagrantly insults the concept of liberty that true patriotism embraces, but also because his focus threatens to turn standing for the national anthem into a partisan act.” (Zorn). Trump has turned the protest into a major issue because he says it is unpatriotic, but it is a vast form of patriotism. The athletes are protesting because they do not like how America is, but some cannot get over the “disrespect” to the flag. In “National anthem protests are about racism, not patriotism,” Scanlon states, “For them, America has not been well. For them, the flag stands for institutionalized racism and the obstacles they face for something as arbitrary as the color of their skin. Colin Kaepernick, the player who began the movement last year, even decided to take a knee instead of sitting after a conversation with a veteran last year. There is nothing more these players could have done to make it clear that kneeling is a way for them to bring light to issues and generate a discussion, not show disrespect for the military” (Scanlon). The athletes kneel to make a major statement and brings light to racism. Although some (including the president) find the protest disrespectful, the athletes are making a large patriotic statement. The athletes use patriotism in a form of freedom of speech for how institutional racism is still active in the U.S.

It all started on September 1st, 2016 when Collin Kaepernick decided to take knee during the singing of the National Anthem. He was upset about the way our government had been handling situations involving the death of unarmed African American people. This was not the first time someone decided to take a stand and protest during the singing of our national anthem. The protest date all the way back to 1968 at the Summer Olympic games in Mexico City when medal winners, John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their fist as a sign of black power during the playing of the national anthem. Although the protest dates back into the 1960’s it wasn’t until 2016 when Collin Kaepernick took a knee that it blew up and became such a controversial issue. Since the protest starts in the 1960’s it has had its many pros and cons, most people believe that it is very disrespectful to protest during the national anthem. A popular figure behind this belief is our President Donald Trump, President Trump has gone to Twitter many of times and tweeted how he believes those who participate in the protest should be fined. As we know there are always two sides of every controversial issue. I believe that the national anthem protest has been very successful, and it has done a lot of good for our country. Since Collin begin the protest he has brought awareness to many crimes involving unarmed African American teams, NFL teams and owners have been brought together in unity, and many people are starting to

A football player with the NFL, named Colin Kaepernick decided to stop standing for the national anthem as of means of protesting that the fact unarmed African Americans are killed by police in disproportionate number, usually without any repercussions for the officers who engaged in the killings. The fact that Colin Kaepernick protest is being a sign of disrespect, even though kneeling has long been considered a sign of respect, it has much more to do what he is protesting than how he is protesting.

“O. say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming” I can picture myself in a big loud stadium surrounded by thousands of other football fans singing or listening to these words. I can see the images of the football players getting pumped while the anthem is sung. Quarterbacks ready to throw for long touchdowns, defenders eager to tackle. Then suddenly my eye is caught by the fact that one or two players are kneeling. I am confused. Why would they be kneeling during the anthem? I later discovered that NFL players starting with Colin Kaepernick decided to sit or kneel during the National Anthem in protest of racial discrimination and the death of African American individuals in encounters

"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!" Said Donald J. Trump The President of the United States of America. We the people should show our respects to the Men who established this country. For example, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. Are all resectebly the people who founded America. For instance, San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand because," I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,"[Google] Colin Kaepernick is avoiding the fact that the national anthem was made

As time goes on, the people of America continue to discover and create more issues that have affect on each person in the country. Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers took a knee during the playing of the “Star Spangled Banner” in protest of police brutality and racial injustice in America. Since then, NFL players from all over the country have joined in on this silent protest.

You may have heard of some famous athletes kneeling for the national anthem as a protest against the way people of color are being treated by police and some politicians. This has been a huge debate across the country. It started when Colin Kaepernick, an NFL 49ers player knelt during the national anthem. Soon after Colin, many athletes started joining the protest. Although the first amendment states you have the right to protest I believe you shouldn't because it's disrespectful and counterproductive.

This protest shows disregard towards the military forces of the U.S. and the flag that represents patriotism. Alex Boone, guard for the Minnesota Vikings, is against Kaepernick’s views on this topic (source 1). Boone states, “. . . you should have some respect for people who served, especially people that lost their lives to protect ours. . . (source 1).” In other words, the least the players can do for the soldiers is stand for them while the national anthem is playing to honor the soldiers who served and are serving the country. These famous figures can save the protesting for another time like before or after the games. Those in favor of this protest say that they have the right to act upon their own will by kneeling instead of standing (source 3). Though that is a valid argument, people in the military are out there losing their lives while these players are just playing a game, so it doesn’t take much to show courtesy to those who help keep the United States free. During games of any sport or even during the pledge at school, everyone, including celebrities, should show pride for their country. Whether it’s during the pledge at school or the national anthem at a high school soccer game, standing represents the strength and dignity of the citizens of

Kneeling for the anthem is one of the top headlines today. The notable person who started kneeling is Colin Kaepernick. While there are many different views on this matter. Jerry Jones for instance is threatening to fire his players if they kneel but, as this is America they have rights to even if it’s not the best way to protest. Also it can put you out of jobs.Colin Kaepernick did not get signed by any

In today’s news there is a debate over NFL teams kneeling and some say it is disrespecting this nations flag. It didn’t start with Colin Kaepernick taking a knee, to bring to the forefront the inequalities that still exist in America. There have been many other athlete’s that have in one way or another protested the injustice that have gone on unspoken for decades. Going back to 1968 during the Olympic when two athletic gold and silver medal winners protests the injustice in America. They at the risk of being stripped of their medals and bared from further participating in the Olympic games, they did it anyway. Then as now the protest isn’t against

First of all, this past year famous athlete, Colin Kaepernick, has caused uproar in the political world, which started when Kaepernick decided to take a knee during the national anthem. His reasoning behind what some people might call outrage is that America oppresses African Americans and other races of color. In an article I read online, called “Americas new lesson in Tolerance,” it was discussing how Kaepernick did nothing wrong, he may have offended some people but he did not hurt, damage, or threaten another person’s freedom. He just stood up for his own right to voice his opinion. His reasoning for protesting the national anthem is what he believes is right. I understand that others have different opinions but we life in a country where his right is protected by the constitution. Not many people understand this though. So whenever someone wants to take a stand for what they believe is right it tends to lead to other problems that the government has to deal with.

One of today's issues that our President Donald Trump is posting on his Twitter is scolding National Football League players for kneeling during the anthem. He thinks that these players are disrespecting the very flag that numerous soldiers have fought for. However, these players believe in respectfully expressing their political beliefs by kneeling during during the anthem while doing it peacefully but taking a stand, they kneel with positive intention, and supporting a cause that deserves support, although some may get offended. I believe that they are doing the correct action in protesting as it shows that they are using their platform to provide awareness for something that needs to be acknowledged. Standing for our nation’s anthem is a highly a respected act to do, most elementary students are taught to stand and say the nation’s pledge every morning. Of course, this is something that most people are accustomed to, but the player who started this movement was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem last year and was on the headlines the next day. “Rich Football Player Won’t Kneel for the Flag,” these were one of many headlines that targeted Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the anthem. This begs the question, why? After that game a media reporter asked him why he had kneeled, and his response was that he felt that the current state in which the country is in, a country with oppression of blacks by white police officers,

Kneeling during the national anthem has gotten bigger than I would ever thought it could be. It was 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who started the trend last year to protest police brutality. He first took a knee during the national anthem people thought he was the most disrespectful person ever. Some fans boo’d him when he came into stadiums, some even burned his jersey. I find it hard to believe that people support the movement when other teams started to do it but just last year they hated Colin for doing it. In week 4 of the NFL 2017-18 season teams around the league decided to all link arms and kneel. It is crazy because teams never kneeled as a whole until President Trump’s incendiary comments. I wonder if he would have never came at the NFL players would this deal have gotten this big. Fans had many different reactions to what they have been doing. Some fans were with the movement and understood why the players were kneeling, but some fans didn't care why they were kneeling. They thought it was the most disrespectful thing to do. They thought it was showing that the players did not care that we have troops over seas fighting to keep america free, so kneeling was a sign of disrespect to everyone fighting for us. A few war veterans that attended the games that players took a knee at took it as a punch in the face. Felt as what they did really didn't mean anything to those players and felt really disappointed, but it was never aimed at the veterans it was all towards