Colin Kaepernick Starts A Potential NFL-Ending Protest
In the 2016 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started a protest that would go further than he, or anyone, may have expected. In week 4 of the 2016 season (vs the Chargers) Kaepernick, along with Eric Reid, took a knee during the national anthem, which was sung by U.S. Navy Petty Officer Steven Powell.
As the crowd booed them, Colin and Eric continued to protest. After this event, there was a lot of debate and discussion that sparked on TV, social media and the general public. Many disagreed with this choice, but many thought that this was okay to do since we do have the right as Americans to protest peacefully. At this point, people were making a big deal about this.
Jokes and memes making fun of Kaepernick soon came out. But his protest sparked around all sports, especially in the following NFL season. Many players would soon start protesting.
President Has Choice Words To Say About Protestors When President Trump had something to say about the protesting (according to: Fox Insiders), this is what he said: “Tell that son of a [...] he’s fired”.
Although president Trump may have been correct in that the players are disrespecting the flag and America along with our heritage, his choice of words was certainly not at all what a person in that kind of leadership should use. When you are the President of the United States of America, and many of your people already hate you, don't give them another reason to dislike you.
But after Trump’s words almost all of the NFL players began to take a knee during the anthem. Many teams players would link arms and take a knee. Maybe this protest was beginning to be… an anti-Trump protest? Saying that would sure spark conversation! Now we are in week 9, and many teams are still protesting, but some teams are not.
Since the major protesting started, the NFL has lost many fans. They are losing money quickly, and they need to do something about it. The NFL needs to do something to get the players to stop protesting, because even if they don't think it's wrong, they are losing money.
What Are The Players Protesting? But what are the players protesting? We all know that the players are taking a knee or sitting during the anthem, but what are they trying to say? Colin Kaepernick said he was protesting for black inequality and police brutality. And that is what players seem to be protesting against. But when President Trump made that comment about the NFL players that protest, whether the players admit it or not, this protest soon turned into an anti-Trump protest, at least for that week.
But the players should have never taken the protest this far in the first place. Yes, what they are protesting about is a good thing to protest about, but not in that way and in the setting they have chosen to do it in. Your job is NEVER a place to make political statements unless you are in a political setting. The players are not purposely disrespecting America, soldiers, or our heritage. But they do not realize that they are.
The players are standing or sitting for something that is meaningful. But they are not choosing the right time or way to do so. And although I 100% disagree with their decisions, I will still continue to watch the NFL. The protesting is already beginning to slow and eventually will end. So I don't see the point in missing a season of your favorite sport when change has already begun and will naturally end anyway.
Players And NFL Staff Say They Want To Keep Politics Out Of The NFL? We always hear players saying, “The NFL is so great because we can leave race and politics behind and all be united on one field.” But are players and NFL staff trying to embrace this? The answer is NO. From the beginning, when Kaepernick started this whole thing, NFL staff and players have been talking about it on TV.
They even talk about political problems in an NFL setting! After President Trump made the comment about the NFL protestors, the NFL staff gathered together and discussed it on LIVE TV! While they are talking about this, they literally say in the middle of the meeting how they want to keep politics out of the NFL and how President Trump is not embracing that.
You will hear players say the same, but then they protest political problems ON THE FIELD!
Thank You To Colin Kaepernick All of this...all thanks to Colin Kaepernick, former 49ers quarterback. As good of a player as he may have been, he sure did start something big. Colin Kaepernick may have made one of the dumbest decisions we have seen in the NFL. Because of Colin and Eric, we can now sit here today and read about a major problem in NFL and in America.