The Importance Of Freedom Of Speech

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.

“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

“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

July 4, 1776 was the day America became its own country. 231,000 Americans fought for America’s independence in the American Revolution. The National Anthem was written in 1814, after the soldiers kept the flag standing during the bombs being dropped in the War of 1812. Every war or battle in American history has been for America’s freedom. Many people think that wearing hats during the National Anthem is rude and disrespectful to the soldiers who have fought or died for America’s freedom, but what about kneeling? Kneeling during the National Anthem is rude and disrespectful to the soldiers that have fought for America. The NFL players began kneeling last year during the National Anthem as a protest to police brutality against different races. President Trump spoke out against the kneeling and was accused of suppressing the NFL players natural right. President Trump is not suppressing the NFL players rights because no one has been fired and he has just as much a freedom of speech as any other man in the United States.

Many members of the U.S military have come to Collin Kaepernick’s defense in the aftermath of the protest. Kellie Johnson a former military personal talk about how the protests are simply representations of their freedom of expression and that people should stop focusing on the anthem and start focusing on the reasons for the protest. She even speculates that majority of people who complain about kneeling are the same ones in the stands of sporting events looking at their phones, which is a form of disrespect to the flag. So, you can start to see that the same people who worship the flag commit actions that devalues its worth in America as well.

Growing up I learned to stand up, put my right hand over my heart, and to show as much respect as I can to the Armed Forces and people who have died for our country. There has been a lot of drama over people not standing for the National Anthem. It is all over social media and the news around the country. People should stand for the National Anthem. The armed forces deserve respect and kneeling is a great sign of disrespect to them and our country.

Emotions are high right now in the United States. Americans are upset with the National Football League over a very personal issue. Many Americans can relate to this in a personal way because they have family members or loved ones in the military. Kneeling during the National Anthem shows disrespect to our military, our citizens, and our nation.

The controversy involving the NFL teams, their players kneeling, turning around, locking arms etc has caused many to debate on this topic. The national anthem is performed out of pride of the country and to pay our respects to the people that have fought, risked and sometimes lost their lives for the United States. Players not just from the National Football League but sports across the country have been protesting this because of racial injustice which has caused backlash from many people including President Trump. Keeping in mind that it is the player's right to express their first amendment by kneeling during the national anthem I and many other people believe this is wrong because they are doing it for all the wrong reasons, yes there is

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

“The national anthem pays respect to the people who have risked their lives, been injured, or died defending the United States.(Is Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem an Appropriate Form of Protest? Con 1).” So why on earth would someone kneel? It angers so many people in the nation. It dishonors the flag, when there are people who have the strength and courage to fight for people just to dishonor the flag? Does that sound right? No it doesn’t. People need to realize that kneeling is more than just protest, its disrespect. Let’s stand up for what’s right. And actually stand for the national anthem and get back to how things used to be. Standing and actually respecting our troops, our nation, and our flag. A nation of the free doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. A home of the brave, then be brave enough to stand. ” O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? (Francis Scott

The contraversy of kneeling during the National Anthem goes way beyond the football field. Morals, values, respect, and many other things come into play when dealing with this touchy topic. It is one strictly of opinions, whether right or wrong, and affects millions of people all around the world. There seems to bemore validity and reasons to believe that these actions are inappropriate,disrespectful, and that they are simply just not OK!!

First of all, kneeling during a song that recognizes the millions of people that risked their lives for our freedom is highly disrespectful. Throughout the years, many soldiers have died attempting to protect the country they love from foreign attackers and the few players in the NFL are disrespecting the only thing we have left to honor them. There

Although, many people believe it is un-patriotic and disrespectful to this country to kneel as the national anthem plays, others may think differently like in my case. I’m not a fan of sports but I do like to stay

As Robert Frost once wrote, “Two roads diverged in yellow wood.” This declares that taking the right path may be hard to do, but it shows your character as an individual. I have strong convictions that lead me to believe that sitting/kneeling for the national anthem is an abomination. I am lead me to believe this because there has been many american soldiers who have died and risked their lives to make this a free country so we can have the right to stand for the flag, but there has been numerous times where people refuse and just sit in class or kneel during a sports game. You shouldn’t sit or kneel for the national anthem because there is this act called the 1st amendment which gives you the right to choose whether you want to sit, kneel, or stand during the national anthem or even to salute. In the article “Is Refusing to Stand for the National Anthem an Appropriate Form of Protest?” by Lois Lane, she encapsulates the essence that not standing for the flag is tearing the fabric of our nation, as a whole, apart.