What has Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback for the San Fransisco 49rs, been up to this football season? He’s been taking a stand for African American rights. Kaepernick is standing up for what he believes in by kneeling during the national anthem and inspiring people everywhere. However, some people don’t think the protest is a good idea.
His protest all started in the NFL preseason. Kaepernick refused to stand during the national anthem before his football games. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” declared Kaepernick, according to nfl.com. However, he is not against America. According to theatlantic.com, he is protesting because he loves America and wants to make it a better place. To sum it up, he’s standing up for something he really believes in and cares about. Kaepernick’s anthem protest is inspiring people everywhere to stand up for what they believe in. According to CNN.com, at Kaepernick’s game against the San Diego Chargers, his teammate Eric Reid joined him in kneeling for the national anthem. Jeremy Lane, the cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, sat during the national anthem before his game against the Oakland Raiders because of what Kaepernick did. The New York Times also states that the tight end for the Baltimore Ravens, Ben Watson, claimed that he would “stand for the anthem but that he respects Kaepernick’s decision not to do so.” As you can see, his stand is inspiring many other people. On the other hand, some people don’t agree with what Kaepernick is doing. According to nfl.com, Kaepernick is “aware of what he is doing and that he knows it will not sit well with a lot of people.” One of these people may be Roger Goodell, a NFL commissioner. As said by the New York Times, he mentioned, “I don’t necessarily agree with what he is doing.” Kaepernick’s protest also started a talk between Goodell and his league, and based on what the New York Times claims, it was not a good one. CNN.com states that Kaepernick was booed on by the crowd of San Fransisco when he lined up to begin a game because some fans were not approving of his stand. As you can see, the protest may not look good to some people. In conclusion, Colin Kaepernick is taking a stand for what he believes in and inspiring people everywhere, but the protest is not sitting well with some people. He believes that what he is doing is right and will help others. He wants America to be a better place. This proves that he doesn’t mean to cause problems that may come with his protest. Even though what he is doing may not look good in some people’s eyes, Colin Kaepernick still carries on. He won’t stop standing up for what he believes in. |
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