Players in the NFL have been taking a knee or sitting during the national anthem before games. They do this for personal reasons, to protest their rights, and some do it for the ‘black lives matter’ movement. People have very mixed opinions on players doing this, while some disagree with them taking part in this, I think it’s fine. You are allowed to express your first amendment which is freedom of speech. After all, you are not doing anything to harm someone or anything illegal.

Colin Kaepernick, in 2016, sat on the bench during the playing of the national anthem during a preseason game. He, who was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers at the time, received many negative comments and threats for doing so. But also he received positivity and praise for this. Many other players would soon join him and still to this day do it. The following year he would not be signed back to his team and he is still unsigned.

Donald Trump is very much against players doing this. He put out a tweet saying, “Two dozen NFL players continue to kneel during the National Anthem, showing total disrespect to our Flag & Country.” He also tells NFL owners to fire their players that take part in the protest. Other NFL personal have weighed in and gave their opinions on what they will do to their players, which is nothing at all. Although there are two sides here, the players are allowed to do this and i think people have overreacted over the whole situation.

At the time of the start of the protest, there was a lot of videos surfacing of black men being hurt by police which I think sparked all of this. It was also the uprising of the black lives matter movement. Players wanted to express how they feel about the current situations and events happening here in the united states. Black lives matter isn’t only for blacks to join, there is also a lot of support from caucasians as well. A few white players also took a knee during the anthem to show that they are here to support their fellow teammates in what their doing.

I am in full support in what the players are doing and I thinks its great. I love how they are expressing how they feel and they are not stopping no matter what people say to them. You want to feel bad for Colin, for losing his job, but he is a very influential man now. He starts many charities and gives back to people in need all the time. So for a man that started this whole movement, he is a very humble person and a role model for tons of people and players. I aspire to become somewhat like him in how he can do what he believes in and is unbothered by what other people have to say to him or about what he’s doing.