Cedars, November 2017

November 2017 8 ANALYSIS by Breanna Beers O n Sept. 17, six NFL players sat or knelt during the national anthem before the Sunday games. One week later, over 200 players joined the protests. Colin Kaepernick, former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, first refused to stand during the August preseason to call attention to racial injustice and police brutality in America. Although a few of his teammates later joined him, the protests did not become widespread until President Trump drew attention to the kneeling ath- letes on Twitter. “The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race,” Trump tweeted. “It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!” Trump later called for the NFL to fire players who refused to stand, threatened increased taxes for the league if the issue wasn’t resolved, and asked NFL fans to boy- cott games until standing for the anthem was mandated policy. While Trump and others say that the peaceful protests are an act of contempt toward the anthem, the players themselves consistently reiterate that is not the mes- sage they wish to communicate. 49ers safety Eric Reid said kneeling was chosen over sitting specifically be- cause it is a more respectful gesture. He compared the action to flying a flag at half- mast to mark a national tragedy — in this case, the way racial injustice continues to divide America. Political science professor Dr. Mark Smith pointed out that in some ways the discomfort that comes from kneeling during the flag ceremony effectively pro- vokes the dialogue the protests were meant to produce. “Doing it during the flag creates the discomfort and the discussion, which are moving it forward,” Smith said. “It certainly A Divided League and a Divided Country Analysis of the rising debate over race as NFL players kneel in protest Associated Press San Francisco 49ers players Eli Harold, left, and Eric Reid kneel during the national anthem this season while teammate Corey Mabin stands.