Persuasive Essay On Taking A Knee

First off, kneeling during the National Anthem is unpatriotic. This is the greatest country in the world. It gives everyone who comes here an opportunity in life, and the right to pursue a life of happiness. It is crazy to think Americas finest football players will still disrespect our Anthem. This problem has gotten so big that even our president has had strong words concerning the issue. President Trump has taken to twitter multiple times saying how unpatriotic it is. Also, how it should be illegal and players who are choosing to kneel should leave the NFL. With that being said, there are still NFL players who stand in support of the Anthem. Some coaches do not allow players to stand alone, like Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead these players they hide in the locker room during the Anthem. In my opinion,

On one side of the controversy are the people who agree with the protesting and kneeling for the National Anthem. Both the players and viewers agree with the message they think is getting across. They are kneeling against police brutality and the injustice they think is being served. In

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.

“Taking a knee during the National Anthem these days screams disrespect for our flag,our country and troops.” People are seeing the message that the players are trying to send as disrespectful for our country and troops.”My son and the entire armed forces deserve better than that.” In response,people who are against the kneeling for the National Anthem are going to try to protest in a peaceful manner by not watching the NFL games and not going to the games.The big issue is that the National Anthem has nothing to do with the inequality in our country nor is it raced based.The National Anthem stands for more than what some people are making it out to be. The players are unaware of the true meaning of the National Anthem.

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

This act of kneeling down should be considered as an act of patriotic criticism, rather than a betrayal of the nation. After all, patriotism does not mean that we should love and support everything that the government conducts, but rather we should criticize for the greater good of the government, so that it could improve. Government could only improve, if they can hear the voice from the people. Only after accepting the criticism can one improve. Therefore, the focus of such protest in the NFL should be why they protested, instead of the act of protesting. After all,

“Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave. O'er the land and of the free, and the home of the brave.” These words from our beloved national anthem, are words that this country chooses to live by. Ladies and gentlemen will remove their caps, and then all rise for the playing of the Star Spangled Banner. Most Americans have become comfortable about this right and pleasure that we have. To be able to show respect for the ones who aren’t here, and can’t even stand to do so. One professional American football player had another agenda for this time. He decided to kneel instead of stand like we have all become accustomed to. In my generation, we take our freedom and rights for granted. We do this, because we never had

Two weekends ago, many team owners appeased their players by participating in national anthem demonstrations after President Trump's rather profane demand on Sept. 22 that owners fire any players who kneel. These demonstrations didn't go over well with many NFL fans — millions of whom are white, older, and conservative, and see any demonstration during the national anthem as fundamentally unpatriotic. So last weekend, some teams tried to innovate solutions — to no avail. The New Orleans Saints knelt during the coin toss in their London game against the Miami Dolphins, which mostly puzzled fans. Were they protesting random chance? Baltimore Ravens players took a knee prior to the anthem, prompting a cascade of boos from their hometown fans who

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

“O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” John Stafford Smith said in 1814. This has become America’s top way to show respect to the country. Can you imagine people being disrespectful during this important moment? Well, whether you believe it or not, the very act has been happening over and over on America’s top sporting fields. Players playing in the NFL have been kneeling during the national anthem, creating riots in the crowds. Many, many people died for America’s song, but yet people keep on kneeling no matter what people say, even the President! So, how bad is the kneeling issue? Well, we have to look at why they are doing this disrespectful act in front of thousands of people. And don’t worry, if you don’t have a side on this issue, this essay will help you make a decision. By listening to what fans, players, and NFL management are saying, we can finally take a side on this important issue.

Firstly, a lot of people are talking about African American and Caucasian NFL players, or entire teams, kneeling or not even coming out onto the field during the national anthem. Former NFL player Colin Kaepernick first started the protest in 2016. He used to sit during the anthem. In “The #TakeAKnee protests have always been about race. Period.” post made on the CNN website, the author, AJ Willingham wrote, “…their jerseys used as doormats and bonfire fodder. They were called unpatriotic, ungrateful, and disrespectful of the flag, military, and country.” In this post, the author seemed to be against Donald Trump’s speech he made not too much long after.

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.

Now starting the new NFL 2017-18 season more players started their own way of protesting by either raising their fists’ or locking arms during the anthem. Recently President Trump made some controversial remarks regarding players kneeling. President Trump told NFL owners about how players should stand during the Anthem as a sign of respect and that NFL owners should fire players who protest. Trump said he wished owners’ would tell players who kneel to “Get That Son Of A B**** Off The Field” ! The following Sunday NFL Owners and Players’ responded very strongly by locking arms and taking a kneel showing The President this is about equity and equality not “disrespecting our country”

This being done mainly by football athletes, who are meaning to take a stand against, ‘’ police treatment of minorities.’’ (Stapleton) This, although, may be a noble cause, but is taken into action at an inappropriate time. The national anthem is sang for a multitude of reasons, and one being to show the strength and unity of our nation. Kneeling, on the other hand, goes against both of these ideas, and disrespects those who have fought for us. Kneeling shows a lack of care for the country that has bothered enough to fight a war amongst itself for the equality of those who

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.