A Knee For The Anthem Or A Stand For Justice?

2016 seems to be a year of division in America. Our politicians are as divided as ever (If you’ve watched any debates, you know what I’m talking about.), corporate America seems to be attacking small business more than ever, and the “Black Lives Matter” vs. “All Lives Matter” debate will continue to wage war for the foreseeable future. However, a recent development has taken the country by storm.

The current hot-button issue in American political and sports culture surrounds Colin Kaepernick’s decision to not stand for the national anthem. On Aug. 26, Kaepernick sat during the playing of the national anthem. “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 when asked why he didn’t stand.

The protest drew harsh criticism from fans on social media and from media correspondents such as Tomi Lahren, who called Kaepernick “a whiny, indulgent, attention-seeking cry baby.” At the same time, it drew the same amount of support among fans, media, and even military personnel who began using the hashtag #VeteransforKaepernick.

Interestingly, this particular protest continues to grow from week to week. The Cleveland Cavaliers wore “I can’t breathe” t-shirts for pregame warm-ups, the St. Louis Rams held their hands up to say “hands up, don’t shoot,” and the entire University of Missouri football team refused to play until their president stepped down after making racist comments. All of these solitary events generated headlines for a week, and then it was on to the next topic. Kaepernick’s protest has dominated headlines for almost two months and is still gaining support. Players from all over the league have joined Kaepernick in his protest, and people outside of the league, including corporations like Ben & Jerry’s, have come out in support of Kaepernick and Black Lives Matter. This topic is picking up serious momentum and will stick around for a long time to come.

This protest has drawn a clear division in our country. This division can only be unified by two things, empathy and understanding. It seems as if both sides are so entrenched in their ideologies that they cannot have a conversation about this topic without shouting at each other. That is the story of America in 2016. Nobody wants to hear anyone else’s position on political or social issues.

Personally, I have experienced a range of emotions on this topic. At first I was outraged by it and thought it was extremely disrespectful to our country and especially our veterans. However, I did not let my outrage outweigh my curiosity to learn and grow. After my initial outrage, I sought out information on what Kaepernick’s position really is and what he’s protesting for. Since I began my research, I have become much more sympathetic to his cause. I still believe in standing for the national anthem and respecting the flag at all times, but I also realize that other people are going to have different opinions.

That’s what is great about this country. We can fight, argue, and disagree on almost every issue. We can voice our opinions freely without fear of retribution or punishment from the government. Our first amendment rights protect our freedom to speak our minds peacefully. What we need to do is listen to each other when we are using that right. It is not enough just to say what you want and not listen to anyone else. We need to be more willing to research the positions and take other people’s feelings into consideration when forming our positions on these issues.