Rhetorical Analysis

In 2017 controversy struck when the NFL tried “taking a stance” and protesting the National Anthem. In this protest, many NFL players one by one knelt down while the National Anthem played at their sporting event. The National Anthem is a song for our country and symbol to represent all of the men and women who have fought in our military. This song is not played just for our entertainment, it is to honor the flag and what it stands for. The protesting was started by Colin Kaepernick, last season, when he was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. He was the first player to take a knee during the playing of the National Anthem, now many other NFL players this season are following in his path and doing the same thing. Many players and viewers claim it is for police brutality and the injustice that is being served, while other viewers see it as entitled millionaires disrespecting the flag and the military. Everyone has different opinions on the issue, but no matter what the country needs to respect one another as humans and be united; the American Flag is a symbol of our freedom and the NFL needs to recognize the National Anthem rather than kneeling and disrespecting what it stands for.

Protesting in the National Football League has been going on, as some of the country’s most beloved and highly recognized athletes are seen disrespecting the United States of America on national TV every weekend. The players’ reason for the protesting is police brutality, you can see them kneeling, raising their fist in the air, or even sit in the locker room while the national anthem is being played. Although I do understand what they are trying to do, I believe that there definitely better ways to go about their protest. The protests started in 2016 when Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, took a knee during the national anthem. When question about his actions he responded by saying, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour”(Lake). While some people sided with Kaepernick most people took offense to his decision to kneel. In him doing this it has caused a league wide outbreak in protest; as players and sometimes even whole teams take a knee or show some type of protest during our country's anthem.

Although some may say that he was just exercising his right. He has a freedom of speech and there is nothing that he did wrong. I would agree legally he did nothing wrong, but what about morally. Has my generation been lost in the woods for so long that we can’t see the trail that could lead us out? We all have such strong opinions, that we refuse to listen to the other. We choose to always fight instead of just being at peace with what we

The protesters want you to understand their opinion from their point of view and take it beyond the reasoning they additionally need. In the article “What Is Too Far” it says, “ I do not question someone’s First Amendment right to express their views but I do question the venue these athletes have chosen. I also question their target. By protesting the national anthem, they are protesting America.” The quote is from a writer who seen the (NFL) quarterback Colin Kaepernick refuse to stand for the national anthem. At the time this took place there was discussion about race, class and violence not to add that it was election year. However, athletes don’t only protest against political or racial events. The National Basketball Association (NBA) had Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul take stage and talk to some fellow kids. The primary topic was how to help kids become more socially

The National Anthem is our country’s theme song and it is very highly respected throughout our great country. The Anthem talks about freedom, liberty, and justice for all and about how there are great men and women who risk their lives every day so our country can be free. So, when the Anthem is played at professional football games everyone stands and holds their hand over their heart and respects our flag and our Anthem because that is the least we can do to help support and show our respects to our soldiers and our great country. As many people can see, a lot of things are changing, and these changes started when Colin Kaepernick (Former Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, now a free agent) decided to take a knee instead of standing during the National Anthem in the 2016-17 season. Colin says he did this not to disrespect the soldiers and war veterans but, to bring awareness of the issues going on in our country. Colin said that he felt that our country is not free and justice is not done fairly. He believes there is too much Police brutality “there are people being murdered unjustly and not being held accountable”-Kaepernick. Also, he believes African Americans are treated and looked at differently and it has been that way in the past and it still hasn’t changed. Once Colin kneeled and said all the things he needed to get off his chest the world shook. African American people and professional athletes all over the world agreed with what he did. I’m not saying white people didn’t agree, but it was more African Americans that felt the same way Colin did and

In the sports article, “49ers fans burn jerseys over player’s refusal to stand during anthem”, Washington Post states that a gesture from the 49ers quarterback prompted protests by San Francisco 49ers fans. Colin Kaepernick does not want to stand up for the flag ever again because of a country that subdues black people and people of color. People are supporting the refusal to stand during the anthem and others are disowning this cause. Secondly, the sports article states that his protests with America is making people think twice for what they truly believe in. Moreover, the article claims how a former teammate of Kaepernick is being supportive of his choices and the right to press his statement to the country. The author concludes by us people

“All men are created equal ”, said Thomas Jefferson. Many teams and athletes from the NFL have followed Colin Kaepernick’s footsteps by peacefully protesting during the national anthem to show that justice is not being served. Leading to a variety of different opinions and views.

Our national anthem is a symbol of unity and liberty within our country. However, would a person who does not stand for the anthem be considered a person whom does not respect America? Recently in the preseason of the commonly viewed game of football, the quarterback from the 49ers- Colin Kaepernick- sat down during the national anthem. According to Sandriter, Kaepernick’s protest represents “support for people of color who are being oppressed in the United States, and to take a stand against police brutality” (Sandriter 1). When Kaepernick first started protesting, not many viewers noticed until more NFL players begun to join the bandwagon of protest. As interviews of Kaepernick begin to take place, Sandriter mentions how this quarterback

The 49ers quarterback has been making a statement for the past couple weeks during the American national anthem. Colin Kaepernick has been sitting or kneeling during the national anthem when traditionally people stand and pay respect to all of those who have died to protect their freedom. Kaepernick is being unpatriotic. It does not matter what reason you have you should find a different place to stage your views instead of during our national anthem. In Jaweed Kaleem’s article “In the ‘land of the free,’ are you free to sit out the national anthem” he says that Kaepernick has”kneeled when the patriotic music started.” He did this on the annual Salute to the Military night when retired veterans and others who fought for his freedom came to

In the article, “Message from a non-oppressed black man to Colin Kaepernick…”by Allen West, considers Kaepernick fails to understand oppression. West views Kaepernick as “a biracial young man adopted and raised by white parents.” Since Kaepernick did not suffer the atrocities of the past and “should stop trying to make victims and admonish people, black people, to be victors — try it, and you may find that more satisfying than your insidious action and word vomiting.” Allen West a third military serviceman despises the disregard towards the national anthem. This family battled for generations for the freedom of the country, kneeling for the national anthem disregards any sacrifice made by the military. Even though West disagrees with kneeling, the article conveys Kaepernick has the privilege and opportunity of

Honor, courage and Freedom are what symbolize the American Flag. Americans come together at events, ceremonies and in school to pledge equality underneath the flag every day. Standing up during the national anthem has been the unique gesture we as citizens have all been using for decades. There has been an outbreak of police brutality over the years, but mainly going viral in two-thousand sixteen. Colin Kaepernick, a player of the San Fransisco forty-niners; chose to go against standing for the national anthem to voice his concerns on police brutality and racial inequality. The conclusion would be “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country”. The premise would be that “the country oppresses black people and people of color.” Colin Kaepernick goes on to say, "I can't see

The author, Sean Gregory, in “The Perilous Fight,” talks about the political issue that has been going on for the past year, the issue started when a professional football player from the San Francisco 49ers team, also known as  Colin Kaepernick, kneeled down when the National anthem for the United States of America was played at the beginning of a game. Kaepernick’s justification for this, was that this was his way of protesting unfair treatment of individuals because of racial characteristics. Since racism, discrimination, and gender inequalities have been going on for centuries, I agree on the matter of sports players being able to  kneel down when the anthem, “Star spangled Banner,” is being played because these people are trying to stand up for what they believe is right, and they should be allowed to protest because it is serving as a peaceful way to protest for people who are being unjustly treated. Racism and discrimination often leads to these individuals who are suffering to be judged, killed, and many other harsh things that should not be taking place in the “land of the free.” We as Americans are given so many great things, and people think about the United States they usually think of  freedom, pursuit of happiness, and the rights of being a U.S. citizen, but how can we exercise those given rights properly, when t the government does not let us by putting limitations and restrictions on how we use our rights?  When it's

The First Amendment states that all Americans have the right to freedom of speech and to peaceably protest. Amendment one state, “ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”(First Amendment). Colin Kaepernick taking a knee to protest the deaths of unarmed African-American men, women children is well within his legal right to do so. It is not only his right, it's also the right of all citizens who have chosen to protest against the senseless unexplained deaths of African-Americans. Kaepernick taking a knee has caused

Ever since Kaepernick gained national public attention for sitting through the national anthem in the 2016 NFL season, the topic about the national anthem and the flag’s symbolic meanings has been a hot topic. Colin Kaepernick or any other person in the United States has absolutely every right to sit or kneel for the national anthem. The deal here is if it is appropriate for people-mostly athletes-to protest in the form of sitting or kneeling. The side supporting the protests would argue that the flag or the national anthem represent a democracy that looks down upon people of color. The protestors claim they protest solely for the purpose of achieving social change. I personally believe that there may be some social injustices still around. Protesting in the way of disrespecting the flag or the national anthem is not only morally wrong, but it is unpatriotic and traitorous. I think that the social change protestors are looking for can be achieved through some other type of active protest or actions. Such actions could be getting politically involved with lawmakers, talking with PACs and or lobbying. Soldiers have fought and died for our country leaving behind families and relatives; they did fight for the right for protestors to kneel and sit for the anthem, but I think that protesting in this manner is utterly unacceptable.

The national anthem is not the problem rather than the events occurring in our country. Colin Kaepernick said,”I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," (Wyche, 2016). With his decision to kneel during the anthem it has lead to many problems associated with the NFL. Problems associated with his decision to kneel includes tv ratings and merchandise sells of the NFL are at an all time low. Another problem is that teams are afraid to sign Colin Kaepernick and get in the middle of all of the controversy surrounding him. The reason he chose to kneel during the anthem is that he has the right to exercise whether or not he participate. He was eager in his attempts to prove a point and get his message across. Some may feel he has done an excellent job while others are very unhappy