American Nationalism

The American flag guidelines s.176 line c states “The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally but always aloft and free. Line e then states “The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily turned, soiled, or damaged in any way. That being said the players of the National Football Association are not disrespecting the American flag when they take a knee. However, each Owner in the National Football Association disrespects every player that chooses to take a knee in protest by “changing the narrative and altering the facts.

The National Football Association is flustered by players protesting the flag. They do not make an effort to learn why they are kneeling instead they act aloof and like bigots. The league is angry with players kneeling and are trying to force them to stand and are showing their nationalistic beliefs.

Nationalism comes from the feeling of being patriotic and being supportive for one’s own country or community. For example, there are two American teams playing each other. Why must the National Anthem play before two teams from the U.S play each other? Is this to show unity and the pride of being an American? Or what about waving the American flag during the National Anthem? All of these displays of nationalism are being forced on the American people and those who aren’t even American. Must we take the need to wave little flags in our hand on the Fourth of July or playing an anthem before every game to show our nationalism? All of these rules are being taken advantage of by hypocrites. These individuals only want to promote their own beliefs and wants onto those who they see as less than. This is especially an issue for Americans that don’t have the same health/medical benefits as other Americans. Now, they too, are protesting against these prejudices. The main one is the National Anthem.

The National Football Association is a hypocrite. To require strict guidelines for handling the flag, yet dismiss the players right to protest is an abuse of their position. Nationalism, White Nationalism, is the root of all their angst. If you think about it, the flag gets disrespected every game by using it as a tool against those that don’t have the same rights as one of the owners of one the professional teams. Instead the organization gets furious when it comes to players kneeling for their rights, causing the National Football Association to turn into a political battlefield against players and owners. Some people want to say they watch sports to get away from the politics but the players are on a big stage and have a right to use their voice. The NFL is trying to make an agreement but hasn’t so that being said the players are free to do whatever they wish. They say it’s disrespectful to the flag and soldiers but some soldiers say they were treated way better over seas. So much so, they did not want to comeback to the United States. Those same soldiers may end up being homeless and not get the benefits they are owed. Even more so, these brave men and women do not receive any mental healthcare which they desperately need from watching fellow soldiers get killed. The flag and National Anthem are used to oppress citizens and suppress the right to protest. This is no longer being accepted by athletes.They want the players to just “shut up and play. But, there is more to being an athlete. An athlete can help bring awareness no matter the color of your skin or religion.

The country disrespects the flag by selling clothing with pictures of the American flag, according to the flag code s 176 e it says it should not be displayed as merchandise. Donald Trump accused the players of being disrespectful when silently protesting by kneeling, but Trump doesn’t say anything when people draw on the flag all the time. The flag code also says its disrespectful to have cushions or handkerchiefs printed with the American flag. Also the flag code states you cannot use an image of the flag for advertising. These are things Trump supporters do all the time without consequences. This is an example of Nationalism.

Colin Kaepernick and Mahmoud Abdul Rauf are examples of patriotism. They both protested the national anthem for great causes and both were never given a fair shake after their protest. They both knew they could end up losing their jobs because of their beliefs but it didn’t matter to them. They sacrificed their jobs so these issues could get across to people who think this country has no flaws. Both have two different stories Mahmoud Abdul Rauf was a great NBA player, if he never turned away from the flag he would’ve been in the hall of fame. I admire these two men a lot for standing up for the African American community and not letting their careers get in the way of their beliefs.

On the campus of Kennesaw State university two African American cheerleaders took a knee during the National Anthem at a football game. The crowd was outraged and furious so school officials moved the cheerleading team to the tunnel while the two girls were still kneeling. After the game a local Sheriff wanted to arrest the two black cheerleaders but there was no evidence for him to do so. They had a right to kneel, it was not illegal. This just shows how nationalistic these red states really are.

The reason why players, students, and African Americans are kneeling during the National Anthem is because of the police brutality and unarmed killings of blacks. Another reason is because when the National Anthem was originally made we were not even viewed as citizens in the United States, the national anthem was made 1814. Blacks were not equal until 1954, the same country our Grandparents and Great Grandparents were born we were not allowed to vote until 1965. As we were forced to leave our homeland some of our ancestors jumped overboard. They accepted death instead of the brutality of slavery.

In the movie Black Panther a character Killmonger says towards the end of the movie,”Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors, don’t lock me up where I have to suffer. Those words are symbolic to our lifestyle in America now.

In conclusion, America’s cultural and political climate is nationalistic. Our President does not know the flag rules and says players kneeling are disrespecting the flag. They have the right to protest. They are so worried about players kneeling that they don’t realize they are showing all of us their true colors.

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