Not a fan of people kneeling during national anthems? You’re in luck. NFL team owners have voted-in a new policy that will ban players from kneeling during the national anthem and will require them to stand. Anyone who doesn’t want to stand for the anthem can wait out the song in the locker room instead. The policy comes after two years of protests by NFL players and staffers, who have been kneeling in response to racial inequality and other issues.
Words are just words, of course, but the NFL is backing up its policy with the ability to fine players who do sit or kneel. The decision was largely unanimous as well. However, San Francisco 49’ers owner Jed York abstained from voting, stating that he wanted players to have more input on the issue.
The NFL players union has already denounced the move, noting that players were not part of the discussion. On Twitter, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith argued:
History has taught us that both patriotism and protest are like water; if the force is strong enough it cannot be suppressed. Today, the CEO’s of the NFL created a rule that people who hate autocracies should reject.
— DeMaurice Smith (@DeSmithNFLPA) May 23, 2018
The kneeling fracas started back in 2016 when then-San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled before a game. Afterward, he explained his reasoning: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Kaepernick stirred the pot with his simple gesture and strong words. Many were quick to condemn him, but he also gained a lot of supporters. More NFL players and athletes in other sports began kneeling in solidarity. At times, entire teams have knelt.
Personally, the kneeling never bothered me, and I don’t see it as disrespectful. If players were, say, stomping on the flag or closing their ears or something like that, I might find myself offended. However, kneeling is as much a sign of respect as anything else. While the players are drawing attention to issues, I have always felt that they were doing so in a respectful way.
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Some have questioned whether kneeling is even an effective tactic. However, given how much attention kneeling has brought to sensitive issues, it has at the very least raised awareness and encouraged discussion. At the same time, the tactic has proven divisive, and many have widened the gap between America’s already fractured citizenry. Sometimes, however, it’s best to rip a wound open so that it can be properly closed.
President Trump has claimed that the kneeling is both disrespectful and is hurting NFL ratings. Trump went as far as to call for a boycott of the NFL. It’s hard to correlate the kneeling with ratings, but the NFL has seen declining viewership over the past few seasons. The NFL saw views drop by about 10 percent at the start of both the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Is an NFL field the right place to send such a message? Maybe not. At the same time, America has a strong tradition of upholding and protecting free speech. While NFL team owners may have the right to ban such practices as they are private organizations, I believe that doing so goes against the spirit of being American.
