October 19, 2016

Dear Future President,

“Oh say, can you see! By the…” when you hear these words you probably think about the national anthem, a way to show pride in our country, not something we kneel and protest during. Colin Kaepernick is kneeling during the national anthem to protest people of color being oppressed. While many athletes including Colin Kaepernick have reasons to protest, kneeling during a country’s anthem is disrespectful, and not the right way to protest it.

Colin Kaepernick started the protest in week two of the preseason, and has brought many other athletes to join this cause, now, it is week 6 of the regular season and many athletes are joining him and this protest has become a controversial subject. Many believe it is just wrong to kneel during a nation's anthem and that he doesn’t have the right to sit, although he has the right, it is down right wrong. Others although, support him and stand by him and also think the oppression of people with colored skin is an issue. This is not a good way to protest this cause because they are making lots of people mad. I think a way they could protest in other ways is, posting pictures on social media and showing the way you feel that way, or even just talk about how you feel it is wrong, when they kneel it just frustrates lots of people and makes a lot of people not like the cause.

This subject was caused by what many people think was police killing people with colored skin for no reason on multiple occasions, these may be just accidents and false alarms, but many believe it was because of skin color.

The effects have been protests in many different cities and of course, the kneeling during the national anthem. Christine Hauser of The New York Times states the reason Colin Kaepernick is kneeling, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color” This is important because, it shows us the direct standpoint of him and what he feels the problem is and why he needs to protest it.

Although Colin Kaepernick has the rights to kneel, many still believe it’s not right. Lilly Workneh of the Huffington Post has an opinion that white people don’t have the authority to judge Colin, “white fans, who largely harbor little, if any, personal resentment to the anthem, have lambasted Kaepernick for being so daring and disrespectful in his peaceful demonstration.” This matters because it shows us the way many people see this protest and feel that white people shouldn’t judge him and he has all the rights to kneel, However, this protest is going in the wrong direction, when the national anthem is on television during a football game, they have taken the pride away from people watching from home because they are showing the people kneeling when they should be showing the players being respectful. This issue has became a lot bigger because the press shows it way too often. If they want to kneel then let them kneel, but don’t take the time to show them doing that during a respectful anthem. Both things are wrong, kneeling and the press coverage.

Colin Kaepernick is continuing to kneel, which is a disrespectful way to protest a cause, the press is showing them too much, and overall, this should not be as big as it has gotten too. This public stand has made many football fans angry or downright disrespected, this has resulted in fans to boo at him. Overall this protest is not appropriate. 

         Sincerely,

             Lars