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In the last few years, there has been a lot of controversy about kneeling during the National Anthem. There are many different opinions about this happening. Just recently in the Dallas Cowboys game against the Arizona Cardinals, the Cowboys team knelt with interlocked arms and stood up together before the anthem. The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, joined his team on the field and one of their star wide receivers, Dez Bryant stated, “That was a clear shot at Trump. We showed great unity tonight, and that's what that was for. I feel like that was needed.” In previous days, President Donald Trump had been greatly expressing his disapproval of kneeling during the anthem. Trump stated, “it has nothing to do with race.”
The NFL protests started with Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the anthem in 2016 because he felt that African American, were being discriminated against and not being treated equal. Colin Kaepernick was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Kaepernick's contract wasn’t renewed for the 2017 NFL season with the 49ers and none of the other 32 teams hired him which many believe is a silent punishment for his protest. Other players kneeled in the 2016 season, but none of them were as prominent and most of them were rehired for this season. Kaepernick was beginning to be known as the symbol of this movement.
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This 2017 season, some teams and players are deciding to stay in the locker rooms during the national anthem as a form of protest. Trump requested that people that usually watch the NFL and attend the games to boycott. Many of the players disagree with this and are putting it in their own hands to kneel or not even attend the anthem. The Steelers decided as a team to stay in the locker room, but one player, Alejandro Villanueva, was out and standing for the anthem.
Initially, many thought he did this because he was a veteran, but now he has stated to USA Today, “‘I made coach (Mike) Tomlin look bad, and that is my fault and my fault only. I made my teammates look bad, and that is my fault.’" He was telling reporters that he didn’t intentionally stand out there. Once he realized he was out of the tunnel far enough and the anthem had started, he felt he couldn’t turn away and remained on the field with his hand on his heart. He feels guilty and embarrassed that he did this because it has created more division. Many players say they have different reasons for kneeling during the national anthem and as Villanueva said, “People that are taking a knee are not saying anything negative about the military, they’re not saying anything negative about the flag, they’re just trying to protest that there are some injustices in America.”
Even though the players have said it means no disrespect to veterans, many fans see it as unpatriotic and unhonorable for those who fought. That is just one opinion though and many would share a different side to this controversy.
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