The Importance Of Stereotypes In Sports

Colin Kaepernick feels that minorities are not being heard, so he used his higher status to draw attention to the racial inequality by not standing during the national anthem, instead he took a knee. The author of this article feels that the playing of the national anthem has brought politics into the NFL as opposed to Kaepernick as some people feel. However, this article also touches on the fact that his teammate at one point had also taken a knee in support of Kaepernick’s efforts. The way he chose to express his feelings has caused him to be viewed in a negative spotlight by many people all over the country. There are people even outside of the United States who have heard about this controversial situation Kaepernick has been going through.

This week’s article, “In the ‘land of the free,’ are you free to sit out the national anthem?” by Jaweed Kaleem, discussed the controversy of quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s choice to sit during the national anthem. Not only did the football star “remain seated while teammates stood with hands over their hearts,” but he also “kneeled when the patriotic music started” during Salute to the Military night at a preseason game. Kaepernick's reasoning behind his actions were that he wants to speak up for “those who don't have a voice,” like the black men who were shot by police. His protest has stirred up controversy across the nation. Many people are against Kaepernick’s actions. Politician Donald Trump felt his actions were out of line and

A little over two years ago Colin Kapernick the free agent quarterback whom once held a starting position as the quarterback for the San Francisco Forty-Niners began kneeling on one knee during the National Anthem played prior to the kickoff of every game. His reason in taking such measure for doing what he was doing was due to the injustice that was carried out on the way that Black American males have been treated in the United States of America. Ever since the slaying of unarmed Michael Brown, a young black male whom was gunned down whilst being unarmed in Ferguson, Missouri by a white police officer, no charges were filed. Even so following the death of Brown there has been numerous amounts of black males in America that were gunned down

Players in the NFL must hate America, or at least that’s what some would say when talking about the issue of what players do during the national anthem. Early last year in 2016 a NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kapernick, decided to take a stand by sitting on the bench during the national anthem. His reason was to bring awareness to police brutality, specifically with African Americans, in the United States. As you know, most people stand during the national anthem to show respect for the flag, our country, and the people who fight for it. In realization of what it meant to sit during the national anthem, Colin Kapernick decided to make a compromise by kneeling instead of sitting. His point on awareness to police brutality was clear by kneeling, but it also shows more respect to the women and men in the military, than sitting. Many players, not just African American players, have followed this movement. NFL players have the right to peacefully protest in this form and should not be penalized. This movement is a peaceful protest to bring awareness to police brutality, a practical way to grab the attention of people, and is a movement spreading further than the NFL.

It was upon these concepts of liberty, justice for all, and equality that became the foundation of America and its government. Many citizens claim that these ideals are still believed in and upheld today, yet the black NFL football players who kneeled during the national anthem at a game believe otherwise. According to Bretherton, the black players such as Kaepernick and Reid kneeled to “raise the question of why citizens of color, despite the promise of equality, still live (and die) as lesser Americans” (Bretheron 2). The players took a knee in order to raise awareness and bring attention to the discrimination colored citizens of America are facing today, such as police brutality. Although the players kneeled to invite the people of America to enter with them in a new, deeper kind of a relationship, where all are given mutual respect, the public misunderstood this act of courage as an act of disrespect and incivility towards America. These people, including President Trump, claim that the players are “disrespecting ‘our country, our flag [and] our national anthem” (Bretherton 1). The dilemma, thus, is that our

A present day crucible in today’s world that has been occurring more and more is kneeling to the national anthem and how people that kneel don’t like our country, are only focused on helping one group/race of people, and people are being kicked off teams because of them making protests.The Anthem protests started last year in August when Colin Kaepernick sat on the bench at an NFL game during the National Anthem. After the game reporters asked him why he sat and he said, “I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that opposes black people and people of color” (Wyche ). Since this first incident it’s spread across all of the NFL, high school sports, NHL, women's professional soccer, and even in the MLB. This protest has even been caught in the eyes of the president and there is no sign of this protest slowing down.

Football players in the NFL are kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem to protest racial discrimination and police brutality; this can be stopped by reducing the football player’s pay, make kneeling during the National Anthem illegal, or try to end racial discrimination and police brutality in America. This protest was started by a quarterback from the San Francisco 49ers named Colin Kaepernick who said that he refused to honor a song or “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” (McLaughlin and Simon) Even though this is a peaceful protest, it is still unjust and very disrespectful. Not only is it disrespectful to the American Flag, it is highly disrespectful to the American troops that fought for this country.

Kneeling during the national anthem is not just wrong it is also disrespectful to the multitudes in our country who have served or or presently serving this great nation-- the United States of America. The national anthem represents many things. One of them is the fortitude of our country’s flag. In the anthem it declares that the United States of America is “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” The flag represents the very core and essence of our nation as the only land on the continent that offers its citizens the freedoms it has at the price paid for ultimately by the brave. It is in no way oppressive nor racist. It is the theme song for every American. The intended audience of this paper is an appeal to all Americans. The quarterback of the 49ers football team, Colin Kaepernick, first began a protest to draw attention to a series of incidents against African Americans by remaining seated during the national anthem, “the Star Spangled Banner.” After the great stir Kaepernick caused in the media during September 2016, Kaepernick switched up his protest by taking a knee as a nod or gesture of showing more respect to current and former military after receiving an in-depth letter from Nate Boyer a former NFL player and US military veteran. Boyer served our country as a Green Beret. Over a decade ago, Boyer witnessed genocide while working in Sudan. He met numerous African men who were smitten with America and longed to have the

In 2016, the quarterback for the NFL’s San Fransisco 49er’s protested and refused to stand during the National Anthem because of a racial issue, where police brutality was mentioned. This brought about many others following in his

Since the 1918 World Series the National Anthem has been played at sporting events. The anthem is a symbol for the soldiers who raised the flag after the horrors of cannon bombardment during the war of 1812. Some people seem to think that the anthem has no connection to a sporting event, others find the anthem to be discriminatory. During the anthem we’re asked to stand to remind ourselves of the sacrifice American’s have made for our freedoms. At a recent 49ers football game, Quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem. While Tim Wendel (pro) and Merrill Matthews (con) decided to express their opinions in an article for the Tribune Company. Tim Wendel is for “Protests push all of us to face the dilemma of racial

Jaweed Kaleem, in his article “In the ‘land of the free’, are you free to sit out the national anthem?” explains the controversy around the subject of not partaking in the national anthem, and why it’s not solemnly based on the assumption that the individual is disregarding the country or the people that protect it but rather an act of protest towards the prejudice and inequality that the black community continues to face. Kaleem supports his explanation by bringing up esteemed athletes such as Colin Kaepernick and renowned professors like Peter Dreier who are educated on the matter, and continuously advocate for it whether it’s using their social media platforms like Kaepernick or frequently writing articles on sports politics like Dreier.

This article,”In the land of the free,’ are you free to sit out the national anthem?” Was written by Jaweed Kaleem, who discusses the topic of an athlete sitting down during the national anthem. The athlete Colin Kaepernick, remained seated during the anthem while his fellow teammates stood covering their hearts. By doing this Kaepernick set the national debate about “race on a collision course with three pillars of American patriotism: football,military and police.” The author goes on and explains how blacks don't feel as if they should honor a country when before they weren't treated as an equal person. This debate was blown up by the social media which started to affect politics. Kaepernick gives off personal moments that happened to him

As the red, white and blue flag waves in the breeze and the prominent two-and-a-half-minute song is sung, what runs through your mind? For many people its pride and honor. It’s the thought of many families who lost loved ones fighting for freedom. The same freedom that allowed us to be on that big field or stadium on which we’re listening to the song. Next time you are in a stadium, look around and take notice of who sits and who stands during the national anthem. Imagine to see one of the highly influential professional athletes are sitting throughout the song? On August twenty sixth, NFL player Colin Kapernick knelt during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice. The protest began to touch patriots even more when more professional athletes like U.S women’s soccer star, Megan Rapinoe, joined the protest for Gay rights. Even college students began to join Kapernicks’ protest. Although making a compelling argument, protestors like Kapernick fail to recognize a key point. The words of the Star-Spangled Banner, represent people lives. When you sit for those two and a half minutes, you disrespect not only the nation and flag that allowed you to be where you are today but peoples’ lives as well.

Throughout history, there have been many peaceful protests of issues in an attempt to spark change. From the Montgomery Bus Boycotts to Gandhi’s Salt March, these nonviolent protests have been used to bring attention to problems that people were facing. More recently, in August of 2016, Colin Kaepernick, a player in the NFL for the San Francisco 49er’s, refused to stand for the national anthem during a preseason game. Instead, he knelt, citing “the prevalence of racism and oppression in America as the primary reasons he sat during the playing of the song” (Stepman). This created a huge controversy, angering many who believed that he was disrespecting the flag, the United States of America, and the Armed Forces by not standing. However, his protest is incredibly effective and showed that he was a real man. Kaepernick was brave enough to take a stand despite the hate and scrutiny that he knew that he would face, used his right to choose to protest, and started a conversation about important topics

In August of 2016, Kaepernick began his protest during a NFL preseason game where he initially sat during the singing of the national anthem. At the time, his rebellious efforts became unnoticed, but he soon enough made headlines when someone took a photo of him sitting during the anthem. Thus a social issue was born from the public’s reaction from the photo.The negativity of the public’s reaction stemmed from the norm that it is customary that people raise their right hand over their heart while facing the flag when the Star-Spangled-Banner is playing, so if one does not follow this norm it is identified showing disrespect. Inevitably, the prediction of the people’s reaction were to be expected as they were outraged when Kaepernick broke the norm. Although, it is legal for individuals not to follow these sacrosanct protocols, citizens of the United States find this norm obligatory.Would you stand by and constantly watch the same social issues to keep reoccurring in your neighborhood? Not only that but it keeps happening to different people by the same organization? When numerous acts of police brutality occurred, Colin Kaepernick decided to protest. He could no longer stand by and do nothing; he decided to take a knee. For professional National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, his response was “no”. One of the last waves that came toward the end of the summer is the kneeling while the national anthem played during sporting events. When Kaepernick decided to