Is it free not to honor freedom?

Now, I'm not much of a sports person, but I do know that the national anthem starts almost all sports games. Recently, San Francisco 49er quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, decided to get down and kneel rather than stand during the anthem of a preseason game. At first, fans were livid that he did such an action. Later the press found out that this was actually a protest for progress toward improving social justice and racial equality.

He defended himself against the people who don't support him by saying "I don't want to kneel forever". Kaepernick is looking for reasonable changes in the fight against police brutality. He made sure that his actions were fair by seeing lawyers to educate himself and see if the way he is communicating is proper. This started a trend as now Seattle, Miami, and other various teams are now acting differently than just traditional standing during the anthem.

I am not biased about the situation. I see both sides of the argument. The side of Kaepernick is that it is in the first amendment to have freedom of speech. Although he is not speaking by doing an action, it is symbolic. Kaepernick is saying that he does not want to honor something that is, in his opinion, at a wrong doing. He wants to improve social justice and racial equality to help the nation. On the other side, people feel offended that he is not honoring those who keep us free. The national anthem is to show support to the armed forces and the people who have served our country to make it what it is today. The people on this side of the argument and angered over the fact of what is this act doing in improving a situation.

I really do not have a solution to this issue. It is in the first amendment that this is his right to act in this way. However, is this method really going to be effective in only one short football season?

Cite: Martin Rogers USA Today Sports Sept 15, 2016