Word on the Street: How do you feel about NFL players kneeling?
Colin Kaepernick began a sea of controversy, over a year ago, when he began his peaceful protest of kneeling during the national anthem. This season, after a series of comments made by President Donald Trump, other NFL players have begun to replicate Kaepernick's original protest. The movement has been controversial among politicians and sports fans alike. Here's what students think about this new protest phenomenon.
Alexandria Organ
Sophomore exercise and sport science major
“I definitely agree with the people who feel like it is their right to take the knee because it is their first amendment right. Based on what the country is founded on, I completely agree with putting your knee down – especially with all the stuff Donald Trump is doing, which is foolish. I feel like this is the only way that change can come about.”
Tyla Gomez
Sophomore public policy major
“I definitely believe it is (the NFL players’) right to take the knee if they want to, especially the issue that they are protesting, about America not being a safe place for black people in general. So, why would you show respect to a place that doesn’t really respect you? That doesn’t really make sense. And, I really hate the argument that it is disrespectful to the military people or to the flag or anything because the people who fought for our nation are fighting for our right to protest, for our right to have free speech and the right to even live. I think people don’t want to talk about systemic racism, and they hide it by saying 'Oh you all are just disrespecting the flag,' so we don’t have to have the conversation about systemic racism. So, my opinion on all of this is basically (that) I would like for people to stop talking about the flag or the national anthem and have a conversation about why they are actually protesting.”
Anne Prendergast
Senior psychology and exercise and sport science major
“I think it is a pretty powerful movement that is taking the country by storm — just kind of protesting police brutality and other human rights. It kind of shocks me that people are so offended by it considering the struggle that the black demographic has had in this country. I think it is demonstrating our First Amendment right, and it is making a difference in how we view the issue.”
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“I think the NFL players are right in (taking the knee). I don’t think they are disrespecting the national anthem. I think it is their right to protest in any way they see fit, and in this way, they have clearly gotten the attention they need for their cause. So, I think they are justified in doing it.”
Salman Khan
Sophomore biology major
“I believe the First Amendment protects freedom of speech and this is what they are doing. They are expressing their right to protest. I do not think it is disrespectful because you need to look at their intentions. Their intentions are to protest police brutality and they are very clear about that. They are trying to protest the institutionalized racism found in America. Thus protesting the national anthem is a way of protesting how the American system works against black people.”
Manthi Dissanayake
Junior global health major
“I think it’s completely okay to want to be respectful towards the national anthem, since it represents the country and what the country has been through to get to the stage it’s at. But, I don’t think that the players are kneeling to disrespect the country or the national anthem or anything that it stands for but rather like sub-pockets of what our country has become that is directly affecting the citizens. So, it could be that they don’t feel represented properly or safely when the national anthem is playing … I think it is effective in the sense that it brings about awareness to the whole issue. I think it’s an act of solidarity and it is cool to see that it is not just African-American players kneeling.”
Will Britt
Junior biology major
“I support them but not whole-heartedly because I feel like right now a lot of football players are kneeling and they do not really understand the true message of when it started – about when Kaepernick started it at first. I think some of the players are just showing a kind of a retaliation of what President Trump said. But, yeah, I do support the kneeling.”
