In a preseason game in September of 2016, Colin Kaepernick along with teammate Eric Reid, protested racial inequality in America by kneeling for the National Anthem. At that point, they were the first people to have protested it before a nationally televised sporting event. At first, lots of people were upset because an incident like this had never happened before. This revolution has sparked debates across the country. Some believe everyone must stand for our anthem, while others think it is the right of citizens to choose how they shall acknowledge it.

After President Donald Trump made a comment towards these players who protest the anthem, referring that they should be released from their contracts. It triggered an even more powerful response. Entire teams knelt, while some didn’t even leave their locker rooms for the playing of the anthem. This event specifically provoked everyone to generate their own opinion on the matter. People had to belong to one side or the other with no exception. Everyone was either for protests or against it.

Being able to protest the National Anthem is protected under the first amendment. Everyone has the right to freedom of speech. Everybody in America has the liberty to voice their opinions in any aspect, whether people like it or not.

Barnstable High School junior, Graeme Wojtowicz said, “Everyone in our country should have the right to protest.”

According to the first amendment, everyone does have the right to express their opinion, however, that does not mean other people will agree. Some believe it is rude to not stand for the National Anthem because of the men and women who fight for our country every day.

Barnstable High School Junior Everett Cabral said, “There is no reason to protest the National Anthem itself.”

Cabral believes that there are better ways to fight for equality than by kneeling for the anthem.

Barnstable High School Junior Lauren Laber agrees, “It is disrespectful to protest the National Anthem because of the men and women who fight for our country everyday,” said Laber.

Another recent discussion is if professional teams or leagues have the ability to punish athletes for their protests. On one side, they shouldn’t because it doesn’t reflect the ideals of our Constitution. But on the other hand, teams and leagues are privately owned so they could if they wanted to. Wojtowicz thinks they don’t have the right to. While Cabal does think so because if they believe it’s wrong, they can punish them.

While the controversy has slowly quieted down in recent days, Colin Kaepernick has remained unsigned in the NFL. People still have conflicting opinions on what should happen due to these protestors.