Deciding Not To Stand During The National Anthem

Rebel Miles Photography - An America professional football player decided to sit during the National Anthem and has created a firestorm of reactions. Colin Kaepernick Of The San Francisco 49ers refused to stand in an effort to focus attention on racial injustice in the United States.

There is no middle on this topic, Americans either support his actions or vehemently disagree. Initially the people that outwardly supported not standing were predominately professional athletes, public figures, etc. however, that tide has changed. Recently there have been government officials and young college athletes refusing to stand and now some high school kids are refusing to stand as well. President Obama was quick to support not standing saying it is every American's right to make that decision. His comment undoubtedly added fuel to the fire and in a way legitimized the action. Why he even felt compelled to comment at all could be the topic of another article.

The issue is racial injustice brought on by a spate of recent shootings involving police and African Americans. There are countless questions brought on by this situation many of which have been hotly debated. Why are the police shooting to kill in some situations, what about using a taser to temporarily stun the person into submission. Why shoot people that are already on the ground, walking away or have their hands in the air. Similarly, why are the some of the people that were pulled over resisting. When I was a kid my dad taught me to retrieve my drivers license and registration, lay them on the dashboard and put my hands on the steering wheel. Don't move until the officer approaches the vehicle and tells you to do so.

That has worked for me, however, I am Caucasian and its impossible for me to speak from an African American's standpoint as to how the police treat them during a traffic stop. There is no denying both viewpoints are equally as compelling and choosing one over the other based on the facts, or lack of them, is not likely possible. Fast forward to Colin Kaepernick's decision and it's impact. The National Anthem is a salute to our country and the men and women that have fought for it to preserve our freedoms. Using that song and it's meaning as a platform for racial injustice is confusing as it certainly breeds hostility among people in the USA.

I don't believe that there are too many American's that would debate the fact that we do have the right to refuse to stand. Similarly, we would overwhemingly agree that racial injustice is wrong. The debates would arise regarding using the National Anthem as the platform for any topic. Changes have to be made and quickly. Politicians have been kicking this can around too long. There is no debating, however, that Colin Kaepernick, as a public figure, had many options at his disposal any of which would have likely raised as much awareness as did his decision to not stand.