Colin Kaepernick announced he will stand for the national anthem during the next NFL season, so do you think his protest was successful in achieving his goal? Overall, do you think this type of protest was appropriate to occur during a sports game?
Please first read the article from SB Nation and then watch the video from ESPN:
SB Nation Article:
ESPN Video:
I do believe his protest was successful because obviously it attracted a lot of media and he was able to voice his thoughts and opinions to the whole world when he was asked why he didn’t stand up for the National Anthem. His protest also spread across the United States to other players in the NFL to many athletes around the nation. I don’t think his protest was very inappropriate, however I do find that it was disrespectful to our country as a whole. As a player, he has the right to make his own decision, just like we have our right in school. I do not however agree with the way he chose to execute this protest, because at the same time he was showing his disrespect to the entire world.
ReplyDeleteI think his protest was extremely effective because of how inappropriate it was. From the very instant he decided to sit during the national anthem, debate was ignited. Kaepernick was able to successfully use the international platform of the NFL to spark a social revolution. The story immediately made its way to the front page of every news outlet and he even managed to get other professional athletes to join his cause. Although the movement started a conversation, it did so in an offensive manner. The national anthem is supposed to be a moment of reflection and a sign of gratitude towards those who protect out nation. Therefore, when Kaepernick sat during it, it came across as a disrespectful gesture towards the troops. Additionally, one reporter brought up the point that Kaepernick doesn't live of oppression as he currently makes millions of dollars a year.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that the actions Colin Kaepernick took last season to convey his message only brought to him negative attention and forced media coverage. After Kaepernick did his "stunt," it brought with it a wave of people across the country kneeling during the national anthem, but not because of the same reason Kaepernick was doing it himself. For example, members of the United States Woman's National soccer team kneeled during the national anthem, and I think at that point it started to turn into a contest to see who could get the most attention. On a larger scale, I think that every player has a right to protest for what they believe in. However, for Kaepernick to kneel during the national anthem showed an enormous amount of disrespect to the United States and for the people who protect our country.
ReplyDeleteI believe Kaepernick's protest was successful because it brought attention to the injustices still happening in America today. Also, it allowed other athletes that suffer from inequality (black, women), and created large nation-wide discussion about if discrimination is still present in America, how discrimination is still here, and how it can be addressed. I think that a sports event is one of the best places for a protest like this to take place. For one, Kaepernick's protest was completely peaceful; it was just a statement. He was expressing his right to freedom of speech, as it did not break any laws. Sports are one of the most popular and recognized ways for people to express themselves and their opinions.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Kpaernicks protest was one of good intentions that has brought national discussion to the topic of how America oppresses black people and people of color. His goal was to spark national discussion about the social inequality in the United States. I believe he did this since the article states that this protest spread to many different sports and to many different players. Although his method of protest was peaceful, many people found it to be quite hurtful to essentially turn his backon the nation that has helped him become who he is today. He could of started a program or organization to spark this discussion instead of disobeying the country that he is trying to fix.
ReplyDeleteI believe his protest was successful in raising awareness and bringing the issue of social inequality to the population's attention. However, I do believe that not standing was inappropriate. Him sitting came across as inappropriate, but the kneeling was a much better choice. This create nation wide discussions and caused other athletes to follow in his footsteps. Kaepernick's actions did start a conversation, but I believe it was somewhat inappropriate to completely ignore the national anthem. The national anthem is supposed to be a moment of reflection and a sign of gratitude towards those who protect out nation. When Kaepernick knelt, he acknowledged the flag, at least. It was a good way to get attention, but somewhat disrespectful to the people who risk their lives for our freedom. While I believe social inequality is a huge issue, I still believe we should be respecting the people who fight for our country.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Colin Kaepernick's protest sparked a ton of controversy, I do believe it was successful. I believe that because of the past year we have seen a lot of social change and he was a part of that movement. While he did bring a lot of awareness to his cause, I do believe that his choice of how to get his message across by sitting for the national anthem was probably not the best way to do it. A lot of negative things happened because of his actions. Although we have the power of free speech and people are allowed to express themselves how they like, he disrespected many people who have served our country. By kneeling he showed disrespect towards the flag, but it did do a good job of getting his point across and bringing forward social change.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Kaepernick’s protest was effective due to the fact that it caught many peoples attention. He wanted to take a stand in what he believed in and knowing that it would create something he was able to explain his reasoning for it. Although I do find his protest to be a bit inappropriate I think his reasoning behind it was meaningful, Kaepernick states, “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” He obviously wanted it to be known to the entire world and i do believe that many people will stand by him on this statement.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that Kapernick's protest was successful. His purpose of sitting and then kneeling during the National Anthem was the bring attention to the issue of race inequality and that is exactly what he did. He might have sparked controversy with other issues as well, but his main purpose was to start a discussion about the treatment of different races in America, and that is what he did. Although it might have worked, I do not think this was the correct way of expressing his thoughts. The way he protested made it seem like he was disrespecting the men and women who fight for our freedom and I do not think that was his purpose.
ReplyDeleteI think that Kaepernick's protest was extremely effective due to how he got his idea across by really showing people what he thinks, but at the same time I feel people felt hurt by his actions due to him sitting. Over the past year there has been a lot of social change and I think Kaepernick's had a big part in that situation. After seeing how he dealt with the protest, I had mixed feelings on what I thought about it but technically he did not do anything wrong due to freedom of speech, he can really say anything. I believe that people will stand by his statement since people are talking about it nation wide and it has caused other athletes to follow in his actions. Why I had mixed feelings was because he disrespected the people that risk their lives for our freedom, that was what really caught my attention because we should have major respect for those people. Although Kaepernick might of had good attentions, and he raised awareness, I feel he could have handled it differently so that nobody would feel hurt.
ReplyDeleteI think that Kaepernick's protest was very successful. His goal with the protest was to create a massive discussion about how America needs to address the issue on oppressing african americans. His protest was very peaceful, and he did his goal. Also, donating 1 million dollars to under privileged people is a very good thing to do. Personally think he could've done his protest better. I don't think protesting against the national anthem on national tv was the best idea. He created a lot of controversy over this issue and it upset many Americans.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem is perceived to be successful by many, but his protest should really be considered a failure. While Kaepernick did successfully gain the attention of the media, it was for the wrong reason. I say this because Kaepernick's goal of the protest was to bring attention to race inequality, but the media focused their attention on the moral issues of kneeling during the national anthem rather than focusing on race inequality in our country. Furthermore, this protest only increased the divide between the NFL's fans which is the opposite of what Kaepernick would have wanted. His protest was also a failure on the personal level because while he may feel he did the morally correct thing to do, he is now arguably the most hated NFL player(besides Tom Brady), and he will lose millions of dollars in free agency this year since many NFL General Mangers and Executives refer to him as "An Embarrassment to Football". I do believe the racial equality is something this country to seriously improve, but I do not believe this was the way to go about it.
ReplyDeleteI think that Colin Kaepernicks's decision to kneel during the game was successful. It got national attention and really spread his message. I don't know why it got as much attention as it did. I don't know why people were so focused on other people. I think it wasn't big deal so I guess it is appropriate for a game. I think his choice to no longer kneel during the anthem was based on becoming a free agent. He probably didn't want the kneeling to affect his football career.
ReplyDeleteI think Kaepernick's choice to kneel was successful at getting media attention and conveying his message. Other players also followed in his footsteps further making his decision to kneel a trend in the NFL and other sports for certain players. I believe he has the right to do what he wants as an American. He can express how he feels, but I believe he did at the same time disrespect a lot of people in the country which is something I don't think is right. There are people who fight for our country and to see that is often times not the most generous of thanks. Even though that may not be his intention to disrespect some people, it still may come off that way. I think he could have gone about this in a different way than drawing a lot of positive, but also a lot of negative attention too.
ReplyDeleteI think that Colin Kaepernick's protest was not successful but it was appropriate. I think this because while he was trying to make a good point, he was not a good person to do this. He was in a vulnerable place while doing this because of his poor performance on the field and how he's been on a steep decline for quite a while. his actions sparked a debate but it was really more centered around Kaepernick and less on his ideas. But refering back to the question, he did not sign a contract to stand during the national anthem. We also are not living in a dictatorship so he has his freedom of expression so him not standing is not a disrespectful thing but rather a protest of something that needs change.
ReplyDeleteI think that Kaepernick's protest did accomplish his goal. I think that it did start a lot of talk about the issue and drew attention to the conversation. The media took notice immediately and made it a very popular topic for discussion. If his goal was to make more awareness of the issue of mistreating African Americans, than this was achieved. While this was the point of the protest, I don't agree with how he chose to show his opinions. I think that the playing of the national anthem is a symbol of the country and the freedom that is fought for everyday. I understand the motives behind the protest, however I don't agree with the way he chose to demonstrate.
ReplyDeleteI think that Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem was successful in getting media attention but did it in a way that did not promote the cause rather it just created a controversy about respecting the flag. I don't think that it furthered the movement. I think that he is allowed to do whatever he wants but should do it in a way that respects the country. I think that this type of protest should be avoided by professional athletes because of the effects it has on their likeness.
ReplyDeleteI think that Colin Kaepernick’s approach in protesting was successful in achieving his specific goal because it became the catalyst for change, which was his main focus. He wanted to see a change in the dynamic of society and the way our country treats black people and people of color. Kaepernick’s protest was extremely powerful and attracted a lot of attention from the media and other players from the NFL/NBA. The National Anthem is one of the only common traditions in sports and seeing this resistance with the support of other players made his message loud and clear. Kaepernick’s protest sparked conversation and controversy about the topic of equality which is exactly what he was hoping to do. Personally, I do not agree with the circumstances of which he chose to conduct his protest. Although I acknowledge that there is still inequality in our world today, this was not a way of addressing it. If he had an issue with the government, he should have gone and directed his attention to our system, not disregarding US troops and their dedication to this country. I do appreciate that Kaepernick recognizes when his message has been received and has promised to begin standing for the National Anthem during the next NFL season. He clearly believes in his cause considering the amount of funds he is putting into re-building the infrastructure of the economy in certain areas which is highly respected and he is making a change for the greater good. While he may mean well, I am also aware that it can be difficult to draw enough attention to an issue in order to create a positive change and to even to make people truly listen, but I believe it could have been done in a way that did not disrespect The National Anthem and what it stands for. I think that it is simply disrespectful to our soldiers and our veterans who have put their lives on the line for everyone in this country, including him. It is time for Kaepernick to show some respect to the people who have ensured everyone’s protection and safety. Because without our troops Kaepernick and the other players that supported him wouldn’t even be able to sit/kneel during the anthem in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though his protests were definitely effective because due to the what he was protesting, it attracted lots of media and he was able to portray his beliefs to many people through the media that covered him. Additionally his protest invited other individuals to express the same feelings as him without feeling alone. Kaepernick’s protest created a large discussion about discrimination and how it is still apparent in the United States today. He speaks to how he does not want to honor a country that still oppresses black individuals. Although his protests were peaceful, people believe that he could have done this in a different way rather than turning his back on the nation that allowed him to become what he is.
ReplyDeleteI think Kaepernick’s protest was successful. This was very successful because he got a lot of media and national attention for it. I believe this action created a lot of controversy and discussion on the topic. This is something he strongly believes in and by him not standing showed how serious he was about this issue. In my opinion this action created a big controversy on this topic. I believe to do this on national television was a bit extreme as America does grant it citizens a vast amount of freedom. This issue was successful for his point, but was it worth it for him to do this and get back lash.
ReplyDeleteI think his protest was successful because he did make the issue more public. However, I did not like the way he did it. I believe sitting for the pledge is completely inappropriate. Although, I think this, he was successful with raising awareness and getting others to follow along with him. Kaepernick did raise awareness, but he did more harm than good with sitting. By sitting down for the national anthem, you are disrespecting the troops, veterans, and America. Football is an American sport, so how can you play football and not respect America. The kneeling aproach I can respect a lot more, because it showed that he actually cared and just didn't sick back. My final idea is that it is good that he brought attention to the issue of inequality but he did it in a way that disrespected the troops that are fighting for our country.
ReplyDeleteI think that in order to judge whether or not Colin Kaepernick was successful in his protest, you must first define what his intentions where. If his intentions where to raise awareness and make an impact on police brutality in America I do not believe his protest was successful because it caused more problems than it created. While Kaepernick pushed police brutality into the national spotlight, it was immediately over shadowed by outrage at Kaepernick for disrespecting a cause countless Americans have died for. However, at the beginning of last season, Kaepernick was definitely not starting and possibly getting cut until he sat for the national anthem. After that, his name was on the front cover of newspapers and media outlets across America and, later in the season, he got to start. Therefore, if salvaging his career was his intention, I do think his protest was successful.
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