Comparison Of The Pittsburgh Steelers

In 2017 controversy struck when the NFL tried “taking a stance” and protesting the National Anthem. In this protest, many NFL players one by one knelt down while the National Anthem played at their sporting event. The National Anthem is a song for our country and symbol to represent all of the men and women who have fought in our military. This song is not played just for our entertainment, it is to honor the flag and what it stands for. The protesting was started by Colin Kaepernick, last season, when he was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. He was the first player to take a knee during the playing of the National Anthem, now many other NFL players this season are following in his path and doing the same thing. Many players and viewers claim it is for police brutality and the injustice that is being served, while other viewers see it as entitled millionaires disrespecting the flag and the military. Everyone has different opinions on the issue, but no matter what the country needs to respect one another as humans and be united; the American Flag is a symbol of our freedom and the NFL needs to recognize the National Anthem rather than kneeling and disrespecting what it stands for.

Protesting in the National Football League has been going on, as some of the country’s most beloved and highly recognized athletes are seen disrespecting the United States of America on national TV every weekend. The players’ reason for the protesting is police brutality, you can see them kneeling, raising their fist in the air, or even sit in the locker room while the national anthem is being played. Although I do understand what they are trying to do, I believe that there definitely better ways to go about their protest. The protests started in 2016 when Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, took a knee during the national anthem. When question about his actions he responded by saying, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour”(Lake). While some people sided with Kaepernick most people took offense to his decision to kneel. In him doing this it has caused a league wide outbreak in protest; as players and sometimes even whole teams take a knee or show some type of protest during our country's anthem.

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

A big controversial topic going around in the news over the past few weeks has been Colin Kaepernick and his stand to end the hardship for people of color and police brutality in the United States. This silent stand started early this preseason when a number of different events involving people of color and police officers around the United States not getting along. However, this has started to become more publicized as more and more people in the National Football League have been joining in with Colin Kaepernick and taking a knee or sitting during the national anthem. This stand has become way more than a simple silent stand as many people around the nation are starting to voice their opinions on this subject. Even though everyone argues their thoughts on this subject.

Kneeling during the national anthem is not just wrong it is also disrespectful to the multitudes in our country who have served or or presently serving this great nation-- the United States of America. The national anthem represents many things. One of them is the fortitude of our country’s flag. In the anthem it declares that the United States of America is “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” The flag represents the very core and essence of our nation as the only land on the continent that offers its citizens the freedoms it has at the price paid for ultimately by the brave. It is in no way oppressive nor racist. It is the theme song for every American. The intended audience of this paper is an appeal to all Americans. The quarterback of the 49ers football team, Colin Kaepernick, first began a protest to draw attention to a series of incidents against African Americans by remaining seated during the national anthem, “the Star Spangled Banner.” After the great stir Kaepernick caused in the media during September 2016, Kaepernick switched up his protest by taking a knee as a nod or gesture of showing more respect to current and former military after receiving an in-depth letter from Nate Boyer a former NFL player and US military veteran. Boyer served our country as a Green Beret. Over a decade ago, Boyer witnessed genocide while working in Sudan. He met numerous African men who were smitten with America and longed to have the

A present day crucible in today’s world that has been occurring more and more is kneeling to the national anthem and how people that kneel don’t like our country, are only focused on helping one group/race of people, and people are being kicked off teams because of them making protests.The Anthem protests started last year in August when Colin Kaepernick sat on the bench at an NFL game during the National Anthem. After the game reporters asked him why he sat and he said, “I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that opposes black people and people of color” (Wyche ). Since this first incident it’s spread across all of the NFL, high school sports, NHL, women's professional soccer, and even in the MLB. This protest has even been caught in the eyes of the president and there is no sign of this protest slowing down.

Taking a knee during the National Anthem began 13 months ago with Colin Kaepernick. He started to protest just by sitting on the bench, then when he was asked why he is doing this he responded saying that he is doing this to show more respect for the military veterans. However, a few months later when Kaepernick’s protest became more known to society he said “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag or country that oppresses black people, and to

A little over two years ago Colin Kapernick the free agent quarterback whom once held a starting position as the quarterback for the San Francisco Forty-Niners began kneeling on one knee during the National Anthem played prior to the kickoff of every game. His reason in taking such measure for doing what he was doing was due to the injustice that was carried out on the way that Black American males have been treated in the United States of America. Ever since the slaying of unarmed Michael Brown, a young black male whom was gunned down whilst being unarmed in Ferguson, Missouri by a white police officer, no charges were filed. Even so following the death of Brown there has been numerous amounts of black males in America that were gunned down

Football players in the NFL are kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem to protest racial discrimination and police brutality; this can be stopped by reducing the football player’s pay, make kneeling during the National Anthem illegal, or try to end racial discrimination and police brutality in America. This protest was started by a quarterback from the San Francisco 49ers named Colin Kaepernick who said that he refused to honor a song or “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” (McLaughlin and Simon) Even though this is a peaceful protest, it is still unjust and very disrespectful. Not only is it disrespectful to the American Flag, it is highly disrespectful to the American troops that fought for this country.

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

This is not a solid argument because the National Anthem is played in honor of our nation and the freedom of a diplomatic government; a player feels that his government is not holding up to its purpose then he has the right to not stand and honor it. It seems that the news only reports the problem of the racial discrimination and police brutality with no solution to fix these issues. Consequently, the players are using the same news to air their protest in which sheds light on thousands or millions of viewers about the problems in America for quite some time. Even Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints disagrees with the delivery of the message by stating, “It’s an oxymoron that you’re sitting down, disrespecting the flag that has given you the freedom to speak out” (Refusing 3). However, Drew Brees supports Kaepernick’s statement that he was protesting against the racial injustice. As stated by Colin Kaepernick, “I’m 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” (Refusing 2). This is a great point that the flag provides them freedom, but what is the point of having the ability to protest if they do not use it.

Did you know that when famous people such as Colin Kaepernick decide to protest something it affects millions of people? Standing with your hand over your heart while the National Anthem is being played is showing respect, but some people decide to kneel for the national anthem to protest racial inequalities. Although singing the National Anthem before a National Football League (NFL) game has been a long-standing tradition, many players are choosing to protest racial inequalities which makes some people happy to see a change, some people very upset to see our country disrespected, and also makes famous people speak up and say their opinion.

I disagree with the act that Colin Kaepernick pulled taking a knee that was highly disrespectful to our country and the soldiers that lost their life for us. Due to the U.S. politics (freedom, equality, and order) he had every right to take action of everything he did in that case. President Trump criticized NFL players who take knee during the anthem. From London to Boston to Oakland, athletes took a knee or locked arms in response to ignorant hectoring from Trump. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans stayed in their locker rooms during the national anthem before their respective games on Sunday. Whether taking a knee or standing while putting a hand on a teammate kneeling in protest, these athletes are filling the moral chasm created by a president whose sympathy and empathy are reserved for the “very fine people” among the white supremacists, Nazis and otherwise bigoted racists marching unmasked in Charlottesville. Rather than taking a knee, most NFL players opted for a show of unity Sunday, locking arms ahead of their games amid criticism from President Trump who slammed players opting to protest during the national anthem. I believe we should have freedom but majority of the time, people use it for granted and would drag the situation. Like, Colin is getting paid millions of dollars not only to play for 49ers but to respect their fan base and represent their team, he taking a knee during the national anthem brought a lot of negative attention

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color” says Colin Kaepernick, a 29 year old NFL player. Although the silent protest is legal doesn’t mean that it is morally okay. Causing division among many fans, teammates, coaches, police, and others around the country. The act of sitting or kneeling during the national anthem is counterproductive, ineffective, and disrespectful to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of America.