Liam Wise - Trump’s Sunday Pre-Game

The Commander in Chief offered his position on kneeling players in the NFL on Sunday night, which kept a strict opposition to protests on the field, specifically against racial injustices and police brutality. He even posited the value of the American military in the national anthem, saying “...their sacrifice is stitched into each star and every stripe of our star spangled banner”. This trend of protest began with the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, who’s found himself unable to play football since. Democratic legislators responded to Trump’s impassive position by supporting protests implicitly, even mentioning Rosa Parks’ birthday, which also fell on February 4th. Nancy Pelosi even tweeted in direct contrast to Trump: “Rosa Parks proved that, sometimes, the best way to stand up is to sit down.” As a nation, we have wildly different perspectives on that which can truly make progress. Some see the protests as regressive, but others think raising a fist is just as powerful as writing your congressman. Kellyanne Conway shook the latter, saying “you take a knee for the lord and you stand for the flag”. This nuanced debate culminated in every player standing for the anthem, so there’s no need to criticize anyone for their decision. However, there is no rule in the NFL against protest on the field, so we can’t argue the rights of the players, even if most would rather see them removed from the stadium.