In the article, “The athlete as agent of change,” by Lonnie Bunch and David Skorton, many athletes are using the national anthem to influence people. Many people dislike this however, I am fine with it. I see it as them trying to get across a point about a problem in the world, such as racism. Maybe they just think of the American flag do to all the problems in the world. For example it states,“He, too, saw the flag in a different light due to the racism he faced every day. As he wrote in his 1972 autobiography, "I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world." As you can tell from the evidence provided the reason Jackie saw the flag in a different way was because of the color of…
What’s the first thing that comes to your head when you hear that someone took a knee while the National Anthem? Would you say, kneeling while the National Anthem is being played as “disrespectful?”, or “unpatriotic?” On August 26, 2016, Colin Kaepernick took a knee before a football game. In the article “Colin Kaepernick and the Question of Who Gets to Be Called a ‘Patriot’ ” written by Wesley Morris, Wesley Morris feels like Colin Kaepernick is showing a certain type of patriotism that’s not accepted in modern day society.…
A twenty year old college student, Allison*, whom describers herself as a “Black, but not really Black” woman, met with me to discuss what she is experiencing in today’s society (name has been changed). She brought up the recent kneeling of athletes during the national anthem, specifically during the NFL games. “It’s really frustrating that so many people just don’t get what it’s all about,” she began. “It’s not about the flag, the anthem or the troops. I just wish people could see the bigger picture of this entire thing.”…
In the article "In the ‘land of the free,’ are you free to sit out the national anthem?” author Jaweed Kaleen describes the history of patriotism in sports, and the people who have used these events to take a stand against the issues of our country. Specifically, Kaleem focuses on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Recently, Or Nick decided to remain seated during the national anthem of this year's preseason games. The quarterback has received a lot of backlash for his actions, all of which is detailed in the article.…
In an attempt to persuade high school football players against following the footsteps of Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who refused to stand up for the playing of the American national anthem during their games to protest against systemic racism in the United States, David Brooks, in his article “The Uses of Patriotism,” calls Kaepernick’s actions “extremely counterproductive” as it creates a “crisis of solidarity.” To Brooks, sitting during the national anthem demonstrates a lack of gratitude to America’s ancestors and their legacy, and the loss of a sense that “we’re all in this together.” Throughout the article, he emphasizes on the importance of patriotism in the maintenance of the nation. He cites that the American…
The opinion piece, “The Athlete as Agent of Change,” by Lonnie Bunch and David Skorton discusses how athletes use their platform to address injustice. “Sport has always been a way used to challenge convention.”(Bunch and Skorton, paragraph 3). Athletes have the power and ability to change an idea or convince people of their ideas. The position they are in allows them to use their fame to promote their beliefs and causes they support. I believe that athletes should use their fame to promote a political agenda. One reason why athletes should use their fame to promote a political agenda is because athletes’ platforms allow them to easily persuade or sway the fans and audience to the idea they support. “Sport is a powerful way to do so because…
As the United States evolved, the amendment effected arenas and situations where it never could’ve anticipated. One of the areas includes the First Amendment rights to free speech which is entering into sports. First Amendment rights and sports are becoming increasingly in conflict and are being brought into question. The Actions of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusal to stand during the Star Spangled Banner demonstrates his interpretation of the 1st amendment. His deterrence to participate was because, the anthem itself has an unexpected connection to slavery. His exposition shows that Sporting events directly affect law enforcement and first amendment rights validating that no one has the right to provoke you from simply expressing your opinion when protesting at a sporting event.…
When first comparing the strategies utilized by the female Athletes in A Hero for Daisy, and the activism utilized by athletes in the 1968 Olympics, it seems that these two acts of activism for change are very different. For example, one deals with gender equality in sports, while the other relates to the widespread and historical oppression of African-Americans in the United States. However, there are numerous similarities between the two protests including their utilization of their platform, their use of media, and their protests’ bold nature. Contrastingly, their notable differences involve their different outcomes, primarily the public’s reaction and support of the protests.…
Imagine being penalized for performing an action within the rights of all American citizens. Athletes are being punished for using their platform and not standing for the National Anthem. However, standing for the anthem is not a required action American citizen must do by law. Standing for the national anthem is an acti9n U.S. citizens are expected to do. However, athletes are not standing for the anthem to make a political statement about a belief. Furthermore, athletes should have a choice to stand for the National anthem without being…
In the article “In the Land of the Free are you Free to Sit Out the National Anthem?”, by Jaweed Kaleem. A 49er quarterback called Colin Kaepernick, a african american, was not pleading and standing up to the national anthem. Colin Kaepernick is a famous football player and was recorded in national t.v. Colin Kaepernick impacted many people in the stage and in t.v. Many people were offended and even the veteran were too. Colin Kaepernick never pledge to the national anthem because he never believed in an fair, justice, and equality flag and country. He talks about black lives and that the country is races and cops are rogues. Colin kaepernick impacts the news and his fans. Colin kaepernick soon joins the black life matter program. He explain…
The culture around the NFL started out very mellow regarding kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem. In which only a hand full of players partook in the protest. This act that once created unity around the United States, has now instead caused people to look at it as an act of rebellion against this nation’s flag and troops. Collin Kaepernick never had the intentions to rebel against the flag or those fighting behind it, rather, to stand up for what he believed in- Bringing the United States one nation and showing unity rather based on your race.…
Conflict theories attempt to examine economic exploitation and capitalist expansion as well as identify racism, sexism, and nationalism which twist the meaning and purpose of sport. Cultural theory is also a useful tool when considering the sociological impact involving Kaepernick’s protest and kneeling during the national anthem. Coakley explains how people in positions of power represent their own personal interests by upholding certain structures and practices, in this case standing with hand over heart for the Star Spangled Banner (Coakley, 2017, p. 526). When an individual or group of people challenge the interests of those in power positions, they are portrayed in a negative or harmful manner, in this particular case – unpatriotic. Many dislike using a conflict theory when studying sport because it addresses issues which may be difficult to discuss, such as social issues of racial inequality and police brutality.…
“When there’s significant change and I feel that flag represents what it is supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it is supposed to, I’ll stand”, said Colin Kaepernick. Nobody should have to stand and salute something if they do not believe in what it stands for. When standing and saluting the flag it should represent what it stands for. “The flag is a symbol of our democracy… the white represents purity and innocence, the red represents hardiness and valor, the blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice. The stars represent heaven and our divine goal… all together it is the essence of our freedom, liberty and human rights.” So if the professional players do not believe this is what the flag is representing today, do not tell them they cannot believe this. To tell professional players they have to stand and salute the flag is like telling them that the flag is a representation of colored people’s freedom. When in reality colored people feel like they as a whole do not have the same rights as everyone else because they are being killed left to right for no…
Comparatively, authors who support Kaepernick are writing experts on websites, newspaper and magazines. These individuals argue Kaepernick’s actions are not hurting the society. These peaceful protest raise awareness to issues people of color face in everyday life. However, certain articles may not present an true point of view because sports websites restrict the opinions of their writers, but unified proposition is present because the writers slip opinions that Kaepernick is only exercising his rights. Evidence used in these articles are quotes which clearly state reason behind Kaepernick’s protests, authors also compare injustices in the past to make readers realize these issue are relevant. These articles use measurement in their argument…
You learn the importance of respect when you’re just a child. You should show respect everyday rather, it's a job, school, or your family. Yet star athlete Colin Kaepernick has failed to show respect where it is most deserved. By refusing to stand during our national anthem, he showed disrespect to our military, our veterans, and our country.…