It’s Sept. 11, and in Seattle, the Seahawks vs. Dolphins game is about to start. At the game, the American flag is spread out across the field by veterans in preparation for the national anthem. The Star Spangled Banner begins to play, but four Dolphins players are not standing up. Instead, they are kneeling in protest.
Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, first started the protest during the NFL preseason, and it has continued to gain momentum and participants over the NFL season and into other sports.
Kaepernick talked to NFL media about why he is protesting.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Kaepernick has been joined by other NFL and professional athletes in kneeling for the anthem, as well as the Eastern Carolina University (ECU) Marching Pirates. In response to ECU band members kneeling, fans booed, spit and shouted racial slurs at the students. ECU officials, including the director of athletic bands, the director of the school of music and the dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, signed and released a letter addressing the situation.
“We have met with the band and the members have collectively reaffirmed their commitment to the unique privilege and responsibility that comes with wearing the uniform of the Marching Pirates,” the letter said. “College is about learning, and it is our expectation that the members of the Marching Pirates will learn from this experience and fulfill their responsibilities. While we affirm the right of all our students to express their opinions, protests of this nature by the Marching Pirates will not be tolerated moving forward.”
Students and coaches throughout Northwood have shown both support for Kaepernick and disagreement in his protest. According to a poll of over 500 Northwood students, African Americans are more likely to support Kaepernick’s protest. Sixty four percent of African American students support his way of pro- testing, while only 41 percent of white students support Kaepernick.
Football coach Brian Harrington respects Kaepernick’s decision to kneel.
“I wouldn’t do it, but I commend [Kaepernick] on his courage to do it,” Harrington said.
Senior Trey Barnes does not think Kaepernick’s protest is disrespectful to veterans, nor is it intended to be ill-mannered.
“If you ask [Kaepernick], he’ll probably say he still supports the military and he still supports America,” Barnes said. “He just doesn’t feel the way, in the national anthem, justice is being served.”
Harrington thinks that so far Kaepernick has accomplished what he set out to do.
“[The protest] has created conversation,” Harrington said. “That was his whole purpose, to create conversation between races and he has done that.”
Harrington has told his players how he feels about the situation, and said he would never give out punishments for standing up for what they believe.
“I have told my players I wouldn’t do it, but I would never penalize them for doing it,” Harrington said. “If they feel strongly enough that they should express themselves that way, I would never punish a kid for doing that, but at the same time, it should not distract from the team.”
Senior Matt Oldham disagrees with Kaepernick’s form of protest.
“I believe if you are going to protest, you should do it in a way that does not disrespect your country,” Oldham said.“It’s alright to protest, but don’t do something that disrespects or under appreciates those who fight for our freedom. We are free because of the brave, so I really disagree with Colin Kaepernick.”
Girls basketball coach and athletic director Cameron Vernon agrees that Kaepernick’s protest is showing a lack of respect for our armed forces.
“I think, like many people, the flag is a great symbol for our country,” Vernon said. “And a lot of people have made sacrifices for our country and that’s kind of the way I interpret it. So I think he is being disrespectful to a lot of our veterans and military personnel who’ve kept us safe.”
Junior Hunter Quinlan has no problem with Kaepernick’s decision to protest, but believes he is misinformed on the situation he’s protesting.
“If Colin Kaepernick really knew what the police department was doing, really understood how difficult their job was, he would have a different perspective on the situation,” Quinlan said.
Senior Brock Davis thinks professional athletes have an impact on society, but this sort of protest is wrong.
“Professional players have a lot of [influence] on people and have a lot of say,”Davis said.“But there are certain things I think you just shouldn’t do, like kneeling for the national anthem.”
Vernon supports his players opinions and beliefs, but still wishes they all stand during the anthem.
“I would highly encourage my players to stand for the pledge,” Vernon said. “We are big on doing things together as a team as a group and we don’t like to have individuals stick out for other reasons, and I feel like that’s what [Kaepernick is] doing. You know if my kids were upset about something and they wanted to protest, I would encourage them to do that. I just don’t think kneeling or sitting during the national anthem is a good [way to protest].”
– By Zach Brackett & Davis Palermo
