The Star Spangled Banner

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.

However, The Star-Spangled Banner is also not just America’s national anthem, but it is also a part of the American heritage.

The pledge of allegiance and “Star Spangled Banner” are examples of compulsive patriotism in America that not everyone sees. The Pledge of Allegiance and the “Star-Spangled Banner” are orthodoxes Americans have recited for many years since the 1800s. The pledge of allegiance was practiced everyday in the beginning of class, starting at kindergarten, having all the students and teachers participate. I do not call to mind ever learning about what the pledge signified or meant. Never did I ask myself why we said this pledge of allegiance every single day, it was just a mandatory order of each day. The “Star Spangled Banner” is the national anthem that is recited before sport’s events, like football games, and also at official government procedures. Both are traditions in America that show pride for their country, it’s freedom, and history.

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

Many people hail “The Star Spangled Banner” as the greatest piece of American music. The audiences of America’s national anthem seem, instinctively, eager to express their respect by embracing the notion to remove their hats and stand up. However, not many people ponder over the question of what “The Star Spangled Banner” truly means. What does it mean? Why does it deserve so much reverence and honor? What exceptional difference allows it to prevail over the masterpieces of prominent composers like Mozart and Beethoven? The answer is fairly simple. “The Star Spangled Banner” symbolizes America’s perseverance, its set of moral laws and ethics, and its history that constitutes what America truly means.

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

A big problem protesters like Colin Kaepernick and others are facing is that since they don’t participate in the National Anthem people think that they don’t like our country and are unpatriotic. For example Donald Trump and his aides took the situation into their own hands when calling out the protesters by saying, “protests are unpatriotic and disrespectful to the flag and those who have fought to protect the United States”(Tatum). After these comments players fire back by saying they’re exercising free speech by not participating in the National Anthem while standing with their hands over their hearts. Protesting is a

The massive protest throughout the NFL is against the violence and injustice toward African-Americans in the United States. As a team the Seattle Seahawks stated that they, “‘Will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of color in this country’” (May 1). The Star Spangled Banner is an important song for Americans because it shows the unity within the country; in fact, it is supposed to bring all citizens together no matter their differences. Standing for the Anthem shows respect for all the men and women in our military who have fought for the freedom and rights of American citizens. Nick Stefanovic is a Marine Corps veteran, and was deployed to Afghanistan twice. He is one of the military personnel who think Americans should be standing for the

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.

Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, has created much controversy in the nation over his latest protest. During a preseason football game Kaepernick was photographed sitting during the national anthem (McKirdy). When asked about the action later, Kaepernick explained, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” (Wyche). The nation exploded. Many showed their support for the quarterback, expressing pride in him for “standing up” for the things he believes in. Others displayed their anger with him for disrespecting the flag and all the things the flag represents. After seeing what a backlash his action received, Kaepernick decided to kneel instead of sitting, claiming that his new way of protesting would show more respect for those in the line of duty (Anthem uproar). Although he has the right to protest, sitting during the national anthem is the wrong way to draw attention to a specific cause.

3). Steve Siebold suggests in this deductive reasoning that it is due to the service provided by the men and women of our armed forces and law enforcement that provide individuals the rights, freedoms, opportunities, and security that all individuals have and it is the anthem that illustrates what these men and women stand for and anyone that would mock lacks personal qualities (Siebold, 2016). It is of the belief that the strength of this premise is that it is not just an assumption that men and women serve this country for freedom and to protect, but it is common knowledge and those individuals are saluted for those exact

Why should we stand for the national anthem? Americans should stand for the U.S flag and the national anthem to take a few minutes to remember how it all began, as I mentioned earlier in this essay. We stand, not simply to appease ourselves or make political statements but to honor those ultimately and selflessly sacrifice their life for our freedom. When you fail to stand for the flag and the national anthem you dishonor those who did everything they could to make American a better place for all. Those who fought for civil rights, those who volunteer their own time to help others, those who stood up for those not strong enough to do so. While I am pointing out its more than just the military you should stand for you should stand for all Americans

The Star - Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key as he watched his fellow Americans stand strong in their darkest hour. For over twenty four hours Fort McHenry was bombarded by British Navy, but the American troops fought, and so did their families. The Americans rallied around the singular flag that stood high in the fort, and a flag that was a target for the British armada. They planned to destroy the flag to disrupt moral, but the Americans refused to let it fall. They used that singular flag as motivation, and motivation that eventually won them the battle. The flag still holds the same purpose today. To remember those who have fought, or are currently fighting in our armies. It also serves as a source of pride, motivation, and patriotism towards our country. Knowing what our flag means to our history and our country, we can’t possibly keep letting our countries source of pride be disrespected by those attempting to promote their own cause. Are nations athletes that choose to display their displeasure with our nation’s current state, and disrespect what our flag means for our country.

One reason to support why "Not standing up for the "The Star-Spangled Banner" is rude but then again there's some reasons