National Anthem protests continue

National+Anthem+protests+continue

Hannah Hess, Reporter

Colin Kaepernick is doing it. So is Jeremy Lane and Megan Rapinoe. Major athletes from the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, and more are doing it too. And now even high school football players and cheerleaders are doing this across the country.

Yes, all of these people are participating in the National Anthem protests, kneeling while the Star Spangled Banner is played at sporting events.

This all began during the preseason football games, when San Francisco 49er’s player, Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem.

Some Americans were outraged saying that he should be forced to stand for the anthem, for it is his right to be playing football as an American and that he needs to respect his freedoms.

According to a recent poll conducted by BSHS Pawprint, 40% of Big Spring students asked feel this way.

Coach Cory Hoffman said, “There are far better ways to get the word out about the things that he (Kaepernick) is concerned about. I think that choosing this way is not the best way to do it.”

Others say that protesting is his right, and he deserves to be able to express his opinions about the issues going on in America.

In the same poll mentioned before, 24% of students at Big Spring feel that Kaepernick is doing the right thing, and that he should be commended for wanting to make a change.

Big Spring varsity football player, Nick Black, said, “I feel that he definitely has the right message, maybe he’s just doing it the wrong way. But then again, I feel that if he did it a different way, it might not get as much attention or as much press.”

But what exactly is the message that Kaepernick is protesting?

Kaepernick said that he is protesting for black rights, stating to NFL Media, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag that oppresses black people and people of color.”

Other professional athletes such as Jeremy Lane, football player for the Seattle Seahawks, and Megan Rapinoe, soccer player for the United States Women’s National Soccer team, have joined in on the protests, kneeling before their games as well.

Not only have other professional athletes joined in, but the protests have trickled down to the high school levels too.

High school level football players from New Jersey, Alabama, and Massachusetts have been kneeling before games to express their gratitude towards Kaepernick. Almost the entire football team from Woodrow Wilson High School in New Jersey is participating.

With protests happening at high schools around the country, Hoffman shared his opinion on how he would feel if the Big Spring football team considered participating.

Hoffman said that he would never consider participating in these protests and if Big Spring football players started to participate in the protests, he would be disappointed.

Hoffman stated, “I’d just be disappointed because I think that there’s a certain respect that is owed to your country. Nothing’s ever gonna be perfect in our country and we are lucky to be free enough that we can protest things that we don’t like, but we should choose a respectful way to do that. I think this is a disrespectful way to send that message. I just think that the message is overshadowed by the way that it’s being protested.”