The First Amendment to the United States Constitution gives Americans the right to freedom of speech.  However, this freedom is often taken for granted and can divide our country when it touches upon issues of patriotism.  For example, many Americans recognize the freedom of speech but do not agree with utilizing this right by kneeling during the national anthem before a National Football League game.  Other Americans believe that these players are simply exercising their First Amendment rights. The 45th President of the United States recently announced his stance on the controversial issue, saying that players should be fired for standing up for their beliefs and kneeling during the anthem.  The President stated, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He's fired.’” (Graham).  This inflammatory statement from a man with as much power as President Trump incited both sides of the argument and raised the level of the dispute.  Many people have spoken their minds on the topic, but the divisive nature of the subject has created more questions than answers.  As a result, many people are wondering how to resolve the dispute when the decisions involve freedom of speech, patriotism, and a privileged class of people (NFL players).  In my opinion, the American people should be more understanding of the NFL players' perspectives and their protected right of free speech. 

President Trump's comments have raised the visibility of this issue, leading to responses from many people around the league. Jackie Wattles from CNN Money released a report stating that NFL owners disagree with President Trump and his provocative response. Owners and executives of teams such as the Miami Dolphins, the New York Giants, the Green Bay Packers, the Atlanta Falcons and more have all weighed in on this topic, asserting that Trump’s comments were “offensive and divisive” (Wattles).  Statements like these from the NFL owners were shocking to NFL fans across the nation because these wealthy moguls tend to be right-wing conservatives.  Another prominent figure in the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell, responded to President Trump’s harsh words by expressing support for the players and their right to protest peacefully.  “The NFL and our players are at our best when we help create a sense of unity in our country and our culture” (Breech).  Coming from a man of such authority in the NFL, President Trump immediately responded to Commissioner Goodell's comments by complaining, “All Goodell had to do was say there’s rules and you can’t do it,” (Moore).  As a private organization, the NFL could have required the players to stand during the national anthem when the protests started last year with the former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. 

Although the reaction from NFL owners and executives may be surprising,  responses to the protests often fall along political lines.  Many right-wing conservatives object to this peaceful protest because they believe the NFL players are disrespecting the American flag and the military that has served their country.  According to Will Brinson of CBS Sports, a local restaurant in South Carolina will not be airing NFL games and will instead boycott the NFL until a change is made.  The owner told a local news station that  “when they take the knee, it's total disrespect to our flag, to our country, and in my opinion it's too far” (Brinson).  These people believe that the players are disrespecting the military by sitting or kneeling during the national anthem because the American flag on the field is the same flag brought into battle to protect the rights of all Americans and the same flag that brings home veterans who have given their lives for this country.  However, I contend that those against the protests of the NFL players have made it more than the issue of whether kneeling during the national anthem is disrespectful to the American flag.  Before the Monday Night Football game on September 25, 2017, members of the Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones kneeled before the national anthem began.  Even though they stood in unison for the national anthem, cries of boos were heard throughout the stadium. Despite trying to find a way to appease both sides of the issue by kneeling before the anthem, it was still met with criticism.  

It is unclear whether people oppose the message of social injustice or the individuals expressing their freedom of speech.  While the backlash against these protests argue that the players should not disrespect the American flag and our military, the flag is a symbol of American freedom and the sacrifices made by the military to preserve the rights provided in the United States Constitution.  Furthermore, the message can be lost in the method used to exercise freedom of speech.  The individuals protesting are not taking opposing the military and the flag, but using their platform to raise awareness about social injustice involving hate crimes and discrimination.  Social injustice has been a topic of discussion for hundreds of years with slaves emancipated and civil rights legislation passed, yet these NFL players decided progress was not complete. 

While the protests over the past few years in the NFL might seem new, protests against the government and social injustice is something that has been around for hundreds of years. It began in the late 1800s following the abolition of slavery and continued onward. The next significant instance of protesting social injustice occurred in the 1930s and 1940s concerning the Nazi Germany regime and its desire to have all of the people stand and salute.  During a 1936 rally, a photograph showed a man named August Landmesser as the only man in the crowd without his arm out in salute of Adolf Hitler.  In fact, his arms were crossed in the picture as a protest (Macias). Although it raises a different issue, this protest has similarities to the current protest utilized by the NFL players during the national anthem. Both protests involve a person or person opposing or refusing to comply with the establishment as a means to express displeasure. By protesting such a recognized and accepted practice shows a large amount of courage and sheds a light on the issue.

A more recent and similar example of protesting in sports occurred in the 1968 Olympics. In the 1968 Olympics, many American Olympic athletes showed their beliefs and support for the Black Power Movement throughout the games. The first instance occurred when a few runners held up their fist in a Black Power salute. “American runners, Lee Evans, Larry James, and Ronnie Freeman hold their hands up in a Black Power salute after the medal ceremony,” (Gates Jr.). The three men were all wearing dark berets, which were looked at as a symbol of the Black Panthers movement and a symbol of Black Power. This was the first incident involving protest by American athletes in the Olympics, but is often ignored when discussing the 1968 games.

Another protest of the 1968 Olympics arose from a sociology professor who suggested that African Americans boycotting the Olympics might be a good way to raise awareness to injustice facing the black community, (Gates Jr.). Although this seemed like a good way to advance civil rights' issues, the sacrifice appeared too great as only one person protested the Olympics. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA Hall of Famer and six-time NBA Champion, decided to sit out of the 1968 Olympics. He said there were multiple reasons for his boycott that year, one of which regarding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how he didn’t feel very patriotic after the event that had transpired. He said in an interview with NBC Sports:

 “Another reason I chose not to participate was my intense dislike for the International Olympic Committee’s president, Avery Brundage, who, during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, benched two Jewish runners so as not to embarrass Adolph Hitler by having Jews win a gold medal. Not only was this against the Olympic rules, but information has since been revealed that Brundage’s construction company was bidding for German contracts, which is why he was so eager to please Hitler. I couldn’t bring myself to work under the supervision of someone like that.” (NBC Sports). 

While Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's explanation occurred years after the 1968 Olympics, it confirmed his reasons for boycotting the Olympics. Even though this was the only known boycott in the 1968 Olympics, but the world was even more shocked with what came next. 

Following the boycott suggestion, which never truly materialized other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, two African-American runners from the 200-meter track event stunned the world. The Black Power movement truly became apparent on October 16, 1968 after the athletic event ended and “Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists during the medal ceremony of the 200-meter track event to the tune of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’” This was something the world had never seen, especially in a worldwide broadcast sporting event. “The spectacle created by the two solidified a politicized notion of  ‘black athlete’ in spite of the continuous fragmentation and reinvention the label had undergone,” (Bass 185). This form of protest is strikingly similar to the protests by NFL athletes in 2016 and 2017. In fact, Kaepernick’s first protest appears highly influenced by the protest that Smith and Carlos portrayed in 1968. Both protests used the National Anthem at a sporting event to make a political statement regarding race and inequality.  These protests did not go unnoticed due to the millions of people who watched the Olympics or NFL games, which indicates Kaepernick knew that his protest would be seen by someone and receive attention. 

Nearly fifty years later, the American people are seeing another uproar of protests over the same form of discrimination; yet the American people are still acting like it isn’t about race, but about “their flag.” The NFL protests should not be something the people of the country should be classifying as unpatriotic or against the military because that loses sight of the message.  Rather, Americans should be pushing for social equality and the elimination of racism in a country that tries to promote equality. Throughout history, there has been discrimination that people still face regarding race or religion, but the United States and the American people should fight harder to abolish this discrimination based on the ideas and beliefs the country was built on. 

It is ironic that exercising their rights by trying to shine a light on social injustice has led to falling NFL ratings as the issue has divided many Americans.  However, the message should not get lost in the method of protest.  Our forefathers and military fought for the rights of the American people, to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. 
