National Football League players: exercising their right, but in the wrong way

“You had a lot of people in that group that were there to innocently protest, and very legally protest – because I don’t know if you know, they had a permit”, Trump said to the press at Trump Tower.

But something about the Dolphins caught my eye: Three Miami players knelt for the national anthem but stood for the royal anthem, “God Save the Queen”. Many Philadelphia Eagles players were seen raising a fist as the anthem played.

Other owners did the same, including Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, who donated one million dollars to Trump’s inauguration. In times of injustice, peaceful protests remind Americans of the values the United States is built on.

As an National Football League player, you are expected to give your attention to the flag for our fallen and current troops who protect our country for that short minute and a half during the anthem. According to the poll, Americans are more likely to approve than disapprove of players who, instead of kneeling, link arms in solidarity during the anthem, 45 percent to 29 percent.

Some people think that, even if their cause is good, the players themselves are not helping; they are just kneeling.

While fewer players took stances on Sunday, Trump’s incendiary comments, which included the phrase “son of b****” to describe those who do not stand, were provocative to many. He uses blanket statements like “respect our country” or “respect our flag” while deflecting the true intent of the protest.

Players and people around the team’s organization are continuing to protest the social injustice that takes place in America though not everyone agrees with the time/place that they are protesting. This protest raises awareness for people to understand what is happening in our country. We need to come together as a whole, across the nation, and address these issues head on, because that’s the only way we will ever see this country move forward. One of which is to kneel or sit during the national anthem. “Great anger”. Although the Cowboys did drop to their knees, they stood up for the singing of the national anthem, showing how they are not protesting the flag or the anthem; they are protesting police brutality.

CNN asked the question in a slightly roundabout way, asking, “Do you think athletes who protest by kneeling during the national anthem are doing the right thing or the wrong thing to express their political opinion?” It’s clear that this can be player-led but it can’t be only player-driven, it has to have buy-in from the fans and the community but I think there’s an appetite there.

Broken down by race, 55 percent of African-Americans approve of players refusing to stand for the anthem, and 19 percent disapprove, the poll found.

Prior to the Bombers’ game September 30, Gladney said that he alerted his teammates that he was going to display a sign of protest, and while they didn’t want to join him, they weren’t opposed to him doing so.

While his fellow teammates might not join him, Zazzara said that they are going to be respectful of what Gladney is trying to do.

At the same time, the anti-American movement propagated by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who, by the way, cares so much about politics that he did not vote in this past election, is a disgrace.

Protest all you want, just leave the flag out of it.

Even if one player-a Colin Kaepernick, quite evidently blackballed by all National Football League teams this season once he left the 49ers in spring-can sustain it individually, others can’t or won’t. Protests continued but the noise was slowly dying down.

Kaepernick remains unemployed despite being a starter a year ago amid the theory he has been shunned for his political views.