Arguments Against Pro Athletes

On September 21st, Christine Brennan reported Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand while the national anthem was being played in National Public Radio’s (NPR) online portal (www.npr.org). All through the National Football League 's preseason matches, Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, refused to stand for the national anthem. He clarified that he took this stance to point out what he sees as wrongdoings against African-Americans and different minorities, especially with regards to certain atrocities in police activities. Kaepernick has stated he is showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which was sparked by a number of police killing innocent black people. When addressed by journalists after the first occasion when he did not stand for the national anthem, Kaepernick stated that, “he would not show respect or pride in a flag for a country that continues to oppress African Americans and people of color.” He added that this was much bigger than any game and that it would be selfish on his part to look away. He also claims that there were bodies lying on the streets and people were getting away with murder. I don’t think Brennan understands why he chose not to stand fully. I think this also could have led to more attacks from other writers and reporters that have been inform of his true reasoning. I do not think he was disrespecting the flag or people that fight for it, but just making a stance to get

In August of 2016, Kaepernick began his protest during a NFL preseason game where he initially sat during the singing of the national anthem. At the time, his rebellious efforts became unnoticed, but he soon enough made headlines when someone took a photo of him sitting during the anthem. Thus a social issue was born from the public’s reaction from the photo.The negativity of the public’s reaction stemmed from the norm that it is customary that people raise their right hand over their heart while facing the flag when the Star-Spangled-Banner is playing, so if one does not follow this norm it is identified showing disrespect. Inevitably, the prediction of the people’s reaction were to be expected as they were outraged when Kaepernick broke the norm. Although, it is legal for individuals not to follow these sacrosanct protocols, citizens of the United States find this norm obligatory.Would you stand by and constantly watch the same social issues to keep reoccurring in your neighborhood? Not only that but it keeps happening to different people by the same organization? When numerous acts of police brutality occurred, Colin Kaepernick decided to protest. He could no longer stand by and do nothing; he decided to take a knee. For professional National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, his response was “no”. One of the last waves that came toward the end of the summer is the kneeling while the national anthem played during sporting events. When Kaepernick decided to

The National Anthem is our country’s theme song and it is very highly respected throughout our great country. The Anthem talks about freedom, liberty, and justice for all and about how there are great men and women who risk their lives every day so our country can be free. So, when the Anthem is played at professional football games everyone stands and holds their hand over their heart and respects our flag and our Anthem because that is the least we can do to help support and show our respects to our soldiers and our great country. As many people can see, a lot of things are changing, and these changes started when Colin Kaepernick (Former Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, now a free agent) decided to take a knee instead of standing during the National Anthem in the 2016-17 season. Colin says he did this not to disrespect the soldiers and war veterans but, to bring awareness of the issues going on in our country. Colin said that he felt that our country is not free and justice is not done fairly. He believes there is too much Police brutality “there are people being murdered unjustly and not being held accountable”-Kaepernick. Also, he believes African Americans are treated and looked at differently and it has been that way in the past and it still hasn’t changed. Once Colin kneeled and said all the things he needed to get off his chest the world shook. African American people and professional athletes all over the world agreed with what he did. I’m not saying white people didn’t agree, but it was more African Americans that felt the same way Colin did and

Players in the NFL must hate America, or at least that’s what some would say when talking about the issue of what players do during the national anthem. Early last year in 2016 a NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kapernick, decided to take a stand by sitting on the bench during the national anthem. His reason was to bring awareness to police brutality, specifically with African Americans, in the United States. As you know, most people stand during the national anthem to show respect for the flag, our country, and the people who fight for it. In realization of what it meant to sit during the national anthem, Colin Kapernick decided to make a compromise by kneeling instead of sitting. His point on awareness to police brutality was clear by kneeling, but it also shows more respect to the women and men in the military, than sitting. Many players, not just African American players, have followed this movement. NFL players have the right to peacefully protest in this form and should not be penalized. This movement is a peaceful protest to bring awareness to police brutality, a practical way to grab the attention of people, and is a movement spreading further than the NFL.

Since the 1918 World Series the National Anthem has been played at sporting events. The anthem is a symbol for the soldiers who raised the flag after the horrors of cannon bombardment during the war of 1812. Some people seem to think that the anthem has no connection to a sporting event, others find the anthem to be discriminatory. During the anthem we’re asked to stand to remind ourselves of the sacrifice American’s have made for our freedoms. At a recent 49ers football game, Quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem. While Tim Wendel (pro) and Merrill Matthews (con) decided to express their opinions in an article for the Tribune Company. Tim Wendel is for “Protests push all of us to face the dilemma of racial

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, a 49ers quarterback, took a knee during the anthem. He did this to bring attention that there is an oppression of “black people and people of color.” He also adds that once “there’s significant change, and I feel that flag represent what it’s supposed to represent,” then he will stand. All of the players up to now wanted to bring attention to unjustified police shootings that ended up killing people because of their race. Kaepernick caused many people who were passive and didn’t know how to deal with this topic to take a knee during the anthem. He along with many people began to spread awareness that America has a racism problem that should’ve ended decades ago, but is only getting worse.

One day in a NFL preseason game Colin Kaepernick decided to take a kneel during the National Anthem and it created a national controversy. Many respected people agree with what he did and I agree too he made a statement for what he believed in. Many athletes before him made these kinds of statements for a cause that they believed in.

Everybody loves watching football right. The sound of the pads hitting, the crowd cheering, but this isn’t about the football game, it is about the song before the game that is the hot topic right now. During a 49ers football game, Colin Kaepernick sat down during the National Anthem and that got everybody stirred up. People fired against him on Social Media telling him to leave the country and how he hate the country, but that's not the reason why Colin sat out. He sat out because of a shooting of a black person that should have never been shot. After Colin sat out of the National Anthem, other National Football League (NFL) teams started doing it. Players would wait in the locker room or in the tunnel until the song was over. People should not have stand for the National Anthem during sporting events.

“For the land of the free, and the home of the brave” the remarkable final words of our nation’s anthem. There has been recent controversy about football players, and many other athletes kneeling during the “Star Spangled Banner” to protest against the tragedies happening in America day after day. The First Amendment gives these athletes the privilege to express those rights by kneeling. People should stand for the national anthem because it is a sign of respect and appreciation for our country. On August 14th, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick made the choice to kneel during the national anthem. His decision to kneel was because he could not stand in front of a flag that oppresses black people in its nation. Kaepernick’s kneel turned into a nationwide protest for people of color being mistreated in the United States. Did Kaepernick know what the flag actually represented before he took his costly action?

In my opinion if Kaepernick wasn’t African American it wouldn’t be such a big deal if a white athlete didn’t stand up for the anthem. I feel that race kind of played a factor in his situation and made it feel like what he did was a crime. Colin Kaepernick is an outspoken person and on his twitter accounts he has talks about his opinion on civil right issues and he supports the black live

A famous sports figure in history once said, “I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag. I know that I am a black man in a white world” (McKirdy). At first glance, this quote seems to be something that would have been said by the San Francisco 49ers Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, in light of his recent protests, as well as other sports players who decided to follow suit, to the playing of the national anthem before football games. However, this is not the case. The above quote was written in the 1972 autobiography, I Never Had it Made, written by Jackie Robinson, an African American Baseball player (McKirdy). Colin Kaepernick obviously felt the same as Jackie Robinson did when he sat on the bench rather than standing during a rendition of the national anthem before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on August 26. During an interview with the media following the game, Kaepernick explained why he refused to stand for the anthem, “‘I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder’” (Wyche). Kaepernick explains that he refused to stand for the national anthem because of the

In 1932, United States Congress passed a bill to allow “The Star-Spangled Banner,” to become the official national anthem for the United States of America (Ng, 2016). San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, refuse to stand, however, he taken a knee for the national anthem while performing in a National Football League game. The quarterback action during a football game caused a stir controversy as to why he took a knee. Colin Kapernick stated that he took a knee due to the police brutality against African Americans within the community (Ng, 2016). Some people around the world believed that his action is justified, while other feels that it is disrespectful and inappropriate. Although it seems that he is doing a justified statement,

This article,”In the land of the free,’ are you free to sit out the national anthem?” Was written by Jaweed Kaleem, who discusses the topic of an athlete sitting down during the national anthem. The athlete Colin Kaepernick, remained seated during the anthem while his fellow teammates stood covering their hearts. By doing this Kaepernick set the national debate about “race on a collision course with three pillars of American patriotism: football,military and police.” The author goes on and explains how blacks don't feel as if they should honor a country when before they weren't treated as an equal person. This debate was blown up by the social media which started to affect politics. Kaepernick gives off personal moments that happened to him

Should professional athletes be able to not stand for the national Anthem? Athletes have the right have the right to their 1st amendment. I think professional athletes should have to stand for the National Anthem because they live in America then that means they need to respect it, if they don't like it then just move to another country.

If i was Colin Kaepernick I would have taken a knee during the National Anthem too.The reason Kaepernick took a knee was because he was showing support for black lives matter movement and i would do the same. If i was Colin Kaepernick I wouldn’t have changed a thing.I wouldn’t have changed anything because Black people are being shot, beat, and treated unfairly so I 100% agree with his decision.With all the black people being beat shot and treated like we aren’t human beings too I agree with taking a knee Kaepernick isn’t wrong.