Kneeling Behind the Issue Many people were outraged at Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee for the anthem before an NFL game because of how important the anthem is to America. The people that are angry at Kaepernick feel as if he disrespected the sacrifices people made to found this country. Others praise him because they think that it is one of the most patriotic things to do as an American to protest and say that it is his right and his duty as an American to bring these issues to light. One of the issues surrounding the outrage is whether the people who are calling him “unpatriotic” actually think that he is unpatriotic. In Martin Luther King’s words from his Letter from Birmingham Jail, “We know through painful experience that freedom…show more content… One person trying to send a message to a whole nation reminded me again of Malcolm X’s words: “It takes heart to be a guerilla warrior because you’re on your own.” In the face of all of his naysayers and critics, Colin Kaepernick took a knee for what he believed in. Holding beliefs contrary to what is normally considered “American” is exactly what being American is about. Even though many think it is about blindly worshipping idealistic symbols of the past, being American simply means that one is free to express their own opinion peacefully, no idol worship required. This form of protest and the anger it sparked in the critic’s camp draws parallels to how Martin Luther King Jr. criticizes the moderate clergymen in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, saying that “All too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows.” Major sports organizations have been toeing this racial line for too long and the need for them to take a stand for this is growing in importance each day. It is not happening. Instead, the NFL chooses to hide behind the churches that they build for themselves: ones that pack over seventy thousand brightly-colored worshippers into giant outdoor cathedrals every Sunday to see their gods wage war on the
