Tag: ROTC

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, knelt as the national anthem played at his team’s football game to protest police brutality against people of color. Since then, other athletes have joined in his protest. Many, most notably President Donald Trump, have condemned the athletes’ use of kneeling as a sign of protest, saying that it is disrespectful to the American flag and military.
At first, Kaepernick protested not by kneeling, but by sitting down as the anthem played. He changed to kneeling because he believed it was more respectful than sitting. Kneeling also carries more powerful symbolism: people traditionally kneel when they wish to show reverence or respect. For example, athletes might kneel when a fellow player is injured on the field.
The Prospector polled 102 McClatchy students to gauge their feelings on this issue. When asked if athletes should have the right to kneel during the national anthem, most students said yes: a majority of 59.8%. 14.7% answered no, and the remaining 25.5% said they were undecided.
Although most McClatchy students agree that athletes should have the right to kneel, not everyone necessarily supports the protests. One ROTC student, who wished to remain anonymous, said athletes do have the right to protest, but added that “just because they have the right to protest, doesn’t mean it isn’t disrespectful.”
While this poll showed how students feel about the kneeling protests, many media outlets have covered the controversy around the kneeling, but hardly mentioned that they were started as a protest against police brutality. Many wonder if perhaps the controversy around the protests was distracting people from their intended message. The Prospector decided a second poll was necessary, this time to determine the students’ thoughts on police brutality — the issue itself.
The Prospector polled 55 students to determine if they thought police brutality in America was an issue worth protesting. Of these students, 89% said yes, 7.3% said no, and 3.6% were unsure.
It is clear that the large majority of students believe that police brutality in America is a serious problem worthy of protest, despite their colder stance on the use of kneeling. While we are not sure how many of these opinions were affected by the kneeling, the athletes involved likely would be glad to hear that so many young people are paying attention to the issue.
This controversy is not the first time athletes have used their sport to protest. Legends like Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, and many other athletes like them were politically active. At the 1968 Olympic Games, runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave a black power salute during the national anthem, as they were given their medals. Afterwards, they were expelled from the Olympics and harshly criticized.
Some McClatchy students recently showed support for the protests at the Homecoming Rally. With the ROTC Color Guard standing at attention as senior Ashley Reid sang the national anthem, several seniors took a knee, presumably to show solidarity with the protesters. Though their actions were met with some shouts from students across the gym, who yelled “Get up!” or “Are you kidding me?” the seniors continued to kneel.
It seems that while a majority of McClatchy students agree with the purpose of the protests, some may believe that kneeling isn’t the best medium for protest.