In case you have kept your head out of the news, multiple players from multiple teams in the NFL have been taking a knee during the national anthem. These acts have been very polarizing, it seems people either are really upset with the players or are praising them for taking a stand. I personally am in the latter.
These protest were all started by one man, Colin Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. Mr. Kaepernick originally started this protest in August of 2016. He originally sat during the national anthem but thanks to a letter from a veteran, he decided from then on to take a knee instead. He said it was akin to having a flag at half mast like after a tragedy or loss in the military. His reason for protesting was and is because of the oppression of people of color and the police brutality that happens in this country. Mr. Kaepernick ending up being fired from the 49ers for his protest but thanks to comments from our president his efforts have not gone in vain.
The reason this matter has come back to the head lines is because of tweets from our President attacking the players who wouldn’t stand. This backfired only causing more players to take a knee or worse. One such instance was the Steelers where only one player, Alejandro Villanueva, who was a former vet decided to step out for the National Anthem.
My opinion on this matter is that the players are doing a good thing but maybe at the wrong time. The problem comes from people who think they are trying to be anti-American or anti-veteran. When you think about all the people who are starting to think about how we as a country treat minorities, they are making a difference. Some people might think that they could make a bigger difference by going to these neighborhoods and spending their money and time there. While you may make a bigger difference to that city or even maybe that county, the rest of the country would change very little at all. If they want to keep getting their message out, they should continue to do what they are doing.