American citizens have recited the pledge of allegiance
at school since their preschool or kindergarten years. It has always been a
normal scene that everyone present at an official ceremony or event is asked to
stand up with their hats off to pay their respect to their own nation before
the Star-Spangled Banner is played. No
one has had a different opinion about this long-standing
tradition, and especially at popular sports events, players even get teary eyes
with their hearts filled with pride as the top
tier professional players during the national anthem.
As well aware, San
Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled on purpose during the national
anthem, instead of the tradition of standing, before his team's preseason games
of 2016. He intended to show silent protest against police brutality and racial
inequality during the playing of the U.S. national anthem. Since then on, quite
a few members of the NFL and other sports teams have given one another a tacit agreement through similar silent
protests. On September 24, 2017, over 200 players took their knees in response
to President Trump's assertion that NFL owners are supposed to fire the protesting
players who are intentionally kneeling as opposed to standing during the
national anthem. NFL players, even the one who had not been engaged in these
protests must have felt strong ire and
furor by President Trump’s instant attitude towards them, which had prompted public backlash at the players before
they found out a clue. The players thought that the President’s comments have
made them some disrespectful outcasts in American society to squared away in the name of patriotism.
This is not an easy matter to laugh off as a passing
episode not only among those NFL players who joined the protest but also among
all the American people. Before criticizing the players who kneeled during the
national anthem as “dumb and disrespectful” (which was said by Supreme Court
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg), we all need to think about if people in America
have a true way to get their ideas across when it comes to racism and
inequality.
As the president of the United States, Trump has to
make sure that this country was built upon the foundation of the motto “E Pluribus Unum” and no one should
become marginalized because of their skin color. The owner of the Houston
Texans of NFL Robert McNair commented “we can’t have the inmates running the
prison.” Slip of the tongue? Yes, it could be. However, it tells a lot about
today’s race issues in America.
Expressions
1.Star-Spangled
Banner: (noun) the national anthem of the United States of
America
2.
long-standing:
(adjective) having existed or continued for a long time
3.
top-tier: (adjective) of the highest level
or quality (synonym: top notch)
4.
San
Francisco 49ers: (proper noun/ name) the professional
American football team located in Santa Clara, California. The name
"49ers" comes from the prospectors who arrived in Northern California
in the 1849 Gold Rush
5.
tacit
agreement: (noun) implied
or inferred agreement without direct expression; understood
6.
ire:
(noun) anger/ rage/ fury
7.
public
backlash: (noun) people’s antagonistic reaction to a trend,
development, or event
8.
to
square something away: (verb) to complete all necessary
arrangements for something or someone
9. E Pluribus Unum: (phrase) out
of many, one (the motto of t
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