NFL Protest

The topic of kneeling during the national anthem is obviously a hot topic right now in the media. In an article on CNN, Eliott McLaughlin discusses players taking a knee and Trumps criticism of it. First of all, CNN has not has recently had a good record of credibility, so I took this article with a grain of salt. The entire concept of kneeling during the national anthem has become archaic. NFL athletes no longer kneel for social injustice or racial oppression. Players are doing it simply for attention. Not only is it disrespectful to kneel during the national anthem, but it not even an effective form of protest. Any player can kneel or lock arms during the national anthem, but how many of them are actually doing anything about it? Marcus Peters, a cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs, was offered an opportunity to work with local law enforcement on improving social injustices and he declined the invitation. These players that are kneeling simply enjoy the attention and have no care about others. The only player who ever actually wanted a change was the one who faced the most backlash. Colin Kaepernick is no longer a quarterback in the NFL. If he did not protest, he would still have a job. His intent was good, but his methods were not. Kaepernick claimed we were “a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” This is coming from a player who was making $16,000,000+ every season. If every player who kneeled during the national anthem donated a 10th of their paycheck to helping inner city youth avoid a life of crime, then there might not be as many shootings of black men by police officers. McLaughlin, as an any CNN employee would, only focuses on the drama and the negative outcomes of these thing. He quoted a source saying, “If Trump thought he could divide the NFL, he was wrong.” If we are going to be honest with ourselves, the NFL rating have been declining for years and these protests have only made them worse. Trump was unwise to comment about these events and should not have said anything. The protests don’t affect him in anyway. Trump is filthy rich, just as a majority of these players are filthy rich. Neither the players nor Trump have faced this fabled oppression. They all live a life of luxury. The league minimum salary is $250,000 to play 16 to 19 games. The national anthem is about two minutes long, so even the worst players make over $100 just during the national anthem. If it was truly an issue, maybe someone would like to do something about it. If the NFL truly wanted equality, take a mandatory pay cut from every player to fund a charity dedicated to social injustices. Ex-Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva was the only member of the Steelers to come out of the locker room and “stood in the tunnel, hand over heart, as the anthem played.” The next day his jersey sales went to the number one spot. Still think the protest are working? Take notes, NFL. Take notes.

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