Monday, September 25, 2017

My Thoughts On The NFL National Anthem Protests

"Oakland Raiders National Anthem Kneeling" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Keith Allison
As a supporter of free speech and the first amendment, I fully respect the right that all NFL players and other professional athletes have, to take a knee in peaceful protest of what they perceive to be racism, police violence, injustice or oppression of minorities. Even though I believe their justification for the protest is severely flawed, I completely support their right to express their opinion.

What those players and coaches should acknowledge however, is that the team owners also have the same right to bench them or terminate their contract - not for protesting, but for doing something that owner believes hurts his team's brand.