#TakeAKnee- What Was It All About?
Before the home game on September 29, 2017 every player and coach on the Arlington Eagles stood for the national anthem. “Culturally, it is what is seen as what we do to show respect,” said Kirahy Meyers, player #15. When present, the marching band performs the Star Spangled Banner before games.
On August 25, 2017, Colin Kaepernick, a 49ers quarterback, remained sitting on the bench as the national anthem played before their game against the Green Bay Packers. His sitting was motivated by his belief that the country, in his words, “oppresses black people and people of color”.
There has been controversy surrounding this notion. On September 25, President Trump tweeted that “the issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!”
On September 23, #TakeAKnee trended worldwide on Twitter.
The Seattle Seahawks didn’t exit their locker room as the national anthem played on the October 1 game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts also remained in the locker rooms.
However, the Arlington Eagles, during their game on September 29, stood for the national anthem as usual.
“Standing during the song of our country is important for showing our respect not only for our country and its freedoms but also those who have won those freedoms for us,” Kirahy Meyers (’20), player #15 on the Arlington Eagles’ varsity football team said.
There have been varying opinions as to whether the issue of kneeling for the national anthem pertains to, at its core, racial injustices or respect for the country.
Mr. Keeley, an AP U.S. History and World History teacher, said that kneeling is about the former. “People are doing it to bring attention to racial injustices,” he said.
Senior Aerospace Science Instructor Major Mike Blue, the JROTC teacher, believes that the Seahawks and other NFL teams should stand for the national anthem. “They need to learn to separate politics from their job,” he said.
Would you stand or kneel for the National Anthem?
- Stand (75%, 43 Votes)
- Kneel (12%, 7 Votes)
- It depends on the situation (12%, 7 Votes)
Total Voters: 57
Loading ...
Sources:
http://time.com/4955623/history-national-anthem-sports-nfl/
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/912280282224525312
http://theundefeated.com/features/colin-kaepernick-protests-anthem-over-treatment-of-minorities/
https://trendogate.com/search/?trend=%23TakeAKnee
https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/09/25/seattle-seahawks-national-anthem-protest
