Although the discussions about Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protests may be exhausted by now, President Donald Trump’s comments on Sept. 22 at a Huntsville, Alabama rally have given the debate new legs.
The protests were taken to new heights due to the comments by Trump at the rally and the string of tweets he shelled out over the following weekend. There was not a whole lot of difference between the protests except for the sheer number of participants.
Players of all backgrounds were seen kneeling, sitting or standing. There were many organizations, owners and players standing with their arms locked as a symbol of unity. Some teams even elected to stay inside their locker rooms during the anthem.
The Dallas Cowboys’ protest was recognized by the president as “progress being made” after they were the only team to kneel as a unit and then stand when the national anthem played.
The debate over disrespecting our flag and/or country still has many sides. The proper time and place for these acts of free speech may never be officially settled. The moral and ethical issues will most likely follow the same track, but it is not right for the ruler of the free world to denounce professional athletes and attack the league over peaceful protests and free speech.
The president calling NFL athletes “sons of b******” and suggesting they be fired for expressing their points of view with a silent and peaceful protest is the real issue. Trump did not condemn the neo-Nazis after the riots and protests in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rather, he said there were “very fine people” within both groups of protestors.
People may think those kneeling or sitting during the national anthem is a sign of disrespect to those who fought for our freedom, but the goal of these protests, stated by athletes across the board, is to stand up for injustices in our country. It was never about the flag.
It does not matter what people’s views are regarding this topic, or other issues for that matter. The problem is with Trump criticizing those who choose to speak out and take a stance.
The First Amendment does not limit the people’s right to express their opinion regardless of its content. People may not agree with what is being said, but there should never be a time or a place in this country where the foundation of this country is in jeopardy. Trump attempted to do just that with his weekend explosion. This is something the citizens of the U.S. should never tolerate.
