Paper Example on NLF Player

Introduction

NLF players are justified in using their celebrity status in bringing attention to important issues. Refusing to stand attentively for the national anthem is the most effective and appropriate method of conducting a peaceful protest. It is very important to understand the original purpose for which the NLF players decided to take a knee during the national anthem. Taking a knee by athletes is not about disrespecting the flag, it is a protest against the ongoing racial injustice and police brutality in the United States of America.

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Section 8 of the Library of Congress of the United States Code illustrates the various instances of respect and disrespect for the US flag. The section outlines many statements on disrespect for the flag such as, not using the flag for advertisement purposes, and many others. According to this section, there is no statement showing that kneeling is a sign of disrespect to the flag of the United States of America.

In fact, kneeling down is a sign of respect. When the NLF players kneel down during the national anthem, they show their utmost respect to the flag of the United States of America. It should be highly commended. The meaning should be taken a right as it was intended, not misconstrued.

The United States of America has a primary mandate to enhance and gladly uphold freedom, liberty, and justice for all (Thomas, E. 2018). When one feels that the government does not live up to these precious ideals, he is justified to refuse to stand for the national anthem. Everyone has a right for expression and the pursuit of freedom. Taking a knee by athletes during the national anthem is highly justified. Apart from drawing the attention of the public in unity against racial injustice, the NLF players also demonstrate their patriotism to the flag as per the real meaning of taking a knee.

According to Colin Kaepernick, it is unreasonable to show pride in a flag for a country which encourages oppression and injustice to the black community and the people of color. Justice for all is more significant than football, and it would be very selfish to look the other way. Several bodies lie on streets, and criminals are getting away with murder. Every American citizen should be against the social injustice including the athletes, and footballers. As a result of the freedom owned by the US citizens, the NFL players are fully justified to take a knee to demand their freedom. Therefore, the players take a knee as a peaceful demonstration against the social injustice, not against the police or military or America at all.

According to the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, taking a knee by the NFL players is a wonderful movement from protest to progress. The NFL players do so well to air their voices to demand the change in the community. Moreover, the social media strongly support Kaepernick's step in demanding the freedom from social injustice. The armed forces have also backed up the move by Kaepernick in his peaceful protest against social injustice by posting under the hashtag #VeteransForKaepernick. The great support for Kaepernick from the social media and the armed forces cannot be wrong. It simply shows how right the NFL players are to taking a kneel for the national anthem.

According to the First Amendment right, not standing for the national anthem is a peaceful form of protest (Jackson, N. 2016). Therefore, taking a kneel or sitting down during the national anthem is not a sign of disrespect to the flag of the United States of America. It is a patriotic way of demonstration in demanding the rights of all American citizens. It is also the only way that the athletes can demonstrate their desire for freedom for all people. The athletes cannot demonstrate on the streets as the public does, because this would have no significant effect. It is during the national anthem that the players have an ample opportunity to express their patriotic concerns over the social injustice in the United States of America.

By the speech of the former US President Barrack Obama, Kaepernick was exercising his constitutional right to express his opinion about taking a knee. The president praised the NFL player for his speech, adding that, it has been a long history since a sports person made such a concern. From the President Obama's point of view, it is very clear that the NFL player taking a knee is by no means a sign of disrespect to the flag of the United States of America. The president has a chief mandate to protect the heritage of the country. Therefore, if taking a knee was disrespectful to the country's heritage, then President Obama could have strongly condemned it. But of course, he appreciated the NFL player.

Moreover, the San Francisco 49ers also concurred in response to the issue of NFL player taking a knee. They recognized the right of each to choose whether to participate or not in the celebration of the national anthem. In their argument, every individual has the freedom of religion and the freedom of expression, which must be respected entirely. The kneeling by NFL player for the national anthem is, therefore, justified as his legal right of demanding for the rights and freedom of the American society.

In a letter signed by 35 veterans of the United States of America, they concurred with Kaepernick's expression of kneeling down during the national anthem. According to them, the expression was far from disrespecting the US troops. In addition to that, they said, their main mission is to give all Americans their freedom. It is, therefore, their happiness to see Kaepernick freely enjoying the freedom of expression. The statement of these 35 US veterans clearly shows that the act of kneeling down during the national anthem is not intimidation by the military and the police. Instead, taking a kneel is purely an expression of one's precious freedom and right to either participate or not in the celebration of the US national anthem. It is also a commendable form of peaceful demonstration against the social injustice in the United States of America.

Taking a knee has its original meaning which should not be altered. To move forward as a united society, people must see what is happening in the society and accept the reality that there is an injustice, especially to the black community. After that, the people should work to improve the lives and freedom of everyone. It would be very difficult for the people to move forward in unity if we cannot confront the reality that taking a knee is completely far from disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr., once observed that the man's ultimate measure is not where he stands in the moment of convenience and comfort, but at times of controversy and acute challenge (Holstein, J. A. 2016). Kaepernick has been a representative example to this quote. Today, his career has been victimized by his willingness to stand in the war for justice. It is very much important for all people to focus on the real meaning of taking a knee. The core goal for taking a knee is to sensitize all Americans to work together to kick off the injustice which is going on in the United States of America. Equating kneeling with disrespect to the US flag is a serious symptom to backwardness and retarded societal improvement.

Now considering the athletes taking a knee during the national anthem, everyone who pays attention would know their main grievances: the brutal killing of black Americans by the US police officers. Many of these killings are very unjust and highly detestable. Therefore, it is the work of everybody, not only the kneeling athletes, to demand the freedom, justice, and fairness for all people living in the United States of America. For all citizens, we need not even have controversy on its merits.

It is very crucial to know that the athletes such as Colin Kaepernick and LeBron James solemnly believe that many innocent black people are brutally killed by the US police officers. Scores of their colleagues concur, and millions of people have earnestly reached the same conclusion. The people understand it very well. They may be reluctant when black athletes kneel, feeling that they disrespect the US flag or the troop, though neither is their intention. But they accept that athletes believe that black Americans are killed in a very unjust and brutal way. Furthermore, the people know that the athletes kneel in hopes that the policing laws be reformed.

The athletes kneeling in unity in the public protest of the unjust killings, pledge their honor and risk their dear fortunes in political protest. Their grievance is that the government of the United States of America is reluctant to securing the precious rights of Americans. In particular, the government is seriously failing to protect the lives and liberty of its innocent citizens.

Furthermore, Kaepernick and his colleagues kneel to defend the very core of the Declaration of Independence. There is no any other political act which is more patriotic than petitioning the government for that very purpose. The black men kneel in attempt to advance their liberty, life, and the pursuit of happiness in their time to enjoy it.

Conclusion

From the above arguments, it is clear that the NLF player Colin Kaepernick together with his colleagues does not disrespect the US flag for taking a knee during the national anthem because of the following reasons. First, it is their legal right as a peaceful demonstration against social injustice. Second, they have freedom of expression so richly given them by the Constitution of the United States of America (Holstein, J. A. 2016). Moreover, the military confirms that they do not feel disrespected by the act of kneeling by athletes during the national anthem. Furthermore, most Americans through the various social media platforms have backed the athletes taking a knee for the rights of American citizens. It is therefore right to conclude that the NLF players take a knee for injustice by not disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.

References

Anonymous, J. (2016). NFL confidential: True confessions from the gutter of football.

Cindrich, R. (2015). NFL brawler: A player-turned-agent's forty years in the bloody trenches of the National Football League.

Dreier, P. (2012). The 100 greatest Americans of the 20th century: A social justice hall of fame. New York: Nation Books.

Franklin, G. (2014). Take a knee: Winning plays for the game of life. Place of publication not identified: Franklin Green.

Holstein, J. A. (2016). Is there life after football?: Surviving the nfl. Place of publication not identified: New York University Press.

Jackson, N. (2013). Slow getting up: A story of NFL survival from the bottom of the pile.

Jackson, N. (2016). Broken fantasies. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Thomas, E. (2018). We matter: Athletes and activism.