Ethan Hackney
Professor Aguailar
ENGL V01A
October 5, 2017
ENGL V01A Midterm
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the National Anthem to protest the mistreatment of African Americans has generated a good deal of controversy: some claim that the act of kneeling is a sign of disrespect and feel that Colin is not only insulting America, but also insulting the many soldiers who have died for this country, on the other hand many believe that Kaepernick’s kneel was not only a proper form of Non-violent protest, but actually a sign of reverence rather than disrespect. More NFL players have copied Kaepernick’s example in the last year, and emotions have run high on both sides of the issue, even generating a response from President …show more content…
It is not for a lack of caring, but I enjoy having an outskirts view of issues, it makes it easier to see the pros and cons of both sides of an issue, rather than get all wrapped up in one side, and refuse to accept any criticism of it. I feel as though I see many people who completely blind themselves to the other side’s argument, and will not even attempt to understand people who have an opposing opinion from them. I do not like this, and I do not trust myself enough to not end up like that if I really took a side. Despite my little monologue there, if we lived in a time where our goals were clearer, I would not hesitate to take a knee for just about anything. The Civil Rights Movement in the 60s had a clear goal; end segregation. I would take a knee for that. Nowadays, bias news networks make it hard to know when one is even getting the real story or not, and the fight against problems like aversive racism are not very clear cut; we cannot get inside of someone’s mind to determine if they are racist, and they may not even know themselves. And with how fast things move these days, by the time I figure out what is actually happening, people have already moved on to a new issue; I may have to take a knee just out of exhaustion. Luckily, this kneeling debate has gone on for quite some time, I know where I …show more content…
These athletes have received a lot of unwarranted backlash for an action that has been considered a sign of reverence since ancient times, when Jesus Christ knelt as a mark of his faithfulness. To take this clear message of protest and construe it into a disrespect to the United States is completely illogical, and more than likely has to do with partisan politics than anything else, even getting a brash response from President Trump. Despite my desire to stay in the middle, and my frequent inability to even know what is happening, if I ever figure out, I have no quarrel with taking a knee for any
Professor Aguailar
ENGL V01A
October 5, 2017
ENGL V01A Midterm
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the National Anthem to protest the mistreatment of African Americans has generated a good deal of controversy: some claim that the act of kneeling is a sign of disrespect and feel that Colin is not only insulting America, but also insulting the many soldiers who have died for this country, on the other hand many believe that Kaepernick’s kneel was not only a proper form of Non-violent protest, but actually a sign of reverence rather than disrespect. More NFL players have copied Kaepernick’s example in the last year, and emotions have run high on both sides of the issue, even generating a response from President …show more content…
It is not for a lack of caring, but I enjoy having an outskirts view of issues, it makes it easier to see the pros and cons of both sides of an issue, rather than get all wrapped up in one side, and refuse to accept any criticism of it. I feel as though I see many people who completely blind themselves to the other side’s argument, and will not even attempt to understand people who have an opposing opinion from them. I do not like this, and I do not trust myself enough to not end up like that if I really took a side. Despite my little monologue there, if we lived in a time where our goals were clearer, I would not hesitate to take a knee for just about anything. The Civil Rights Movement in the 60s had a clear goal; end segregation. I would take a knee for that. Nowadays, bias news networks make it hard to know when one is even getting the real story or not, and the fight against problems like aversive racism are not very clear cut; we cannot get inside of someone’s mind to determine if they are racist, and they may not even know themselves. And with how fast things move these days, by the time I figure out what is actually happening, people have already moved on to a new issue; I may have to take a knee just out of exhaustion. Luckily, this kneeling debate has gone on for quite some time, I know where I …show more content…
These athletes have received a lot of unwarranted backlash for an action that has been considered a sign of reverence since ancient times, when Jesus Christ knelt as a mark of his faithfulness. To take this clear message of protest and construe it into a disrespect to the United States is completely illogical, and more than likely has to do with partisan politics than anything else, even getting a brash response from President Trump. Despite my desire to stay in the middle, and my frequent inability to even know what is happening, if I ever figure out, I have no quarrel with taking a knee for any