Another View on Protesting

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In “A View on Protesting” written by Rick Stromoski, an argument is made that it’s not the people who protest who give shame to those in our military but our government representatives who don’t live up to principles in the Constitution. As a daughter of a once ROTC member who was close to deployment, I have always respected those in the military. I am a firm believer that people have the right to protest, a right that is given to us. Though kneeling at a football game during the national anthem is where I draw the line. Colin Kaepernick’s case is a perfect example of this. In his view, he believes that he does not want to stand up “to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses people of color.”

The Star-Spangled Banner was first played at the World Series in 1918 out of respect for the soldiers fighting in World War I and has become a tradition in nearly all American sports teams as a symbol of patriotism. While these football players kneel for oppressed people in the United States, they discredit that they are also dishonoring our military. For entertainers on a field to show disrespect toward those hard at work protecting our country is shameful and ungrateful. Our flag may not symbolize just our military, but it represents our freedoms that are given to us day in and day out due to the protection from our armed forces who sacrifice themselves to defend us.

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