Protesting during the National Anthem:

Xuequan, Mu, editor. President Trump Asks Supporters to Push against NFL

Players' National Anthem Protests. XINHUANET.com. Xinhuanet,

https://doi.org/2017-10-21. Accessed 29 Sept. 2021.

U.S. President Donald Trump urged his supporters to sign a petition to stop promoting

protests staged by NFL players against the national anthem. Kneeling during the National

Anthem has appeared much in the media. Famous influencers and celebrities are taking part in

the protest. Most protesters say it is a form of peaceful protest and see nothing wrong with it.

Jay-Z has also appeared much in the media for sitting during the national anthem claiming he

“Didn’t have to make a silent protest”. Trump as well as many other Americans agree that this

form of protest against the National Anthem is unpatriotic and disrespectful of the military.

Doody, Megan. Potential Disrespect to the Flag. United 4 Social Change, July 24, 2020.

Accessed 29 Sept. 2021.

The peaceful demand for a change was not received well. Many critics, like Donald

Trump, Mike Pence, and Drew Brees have said that kneeling during the anthem is a sign of

disrespect. Many fellow Americans stating the protest is unpatriotic, saying that kneeling

dishonors the hard work of our military that fights for the freedom of our country. To stand and

face the flag and show respect to the military that fought for that flag. Many may not agree with

what Kaepernick is fighting for but his actions are inappropriate and disagree with how he is
protesting. Others have stated that the military fighting for their lives for this country is a bigger

cause than fighting for racial injustice. There are black Americans fighting for an equal right to

live as they are being killed at the hands of police at a rate higher than whites.

Piontek, Malina. Piontek The Rights Of Students To Peaceful Protest. 8 Apr. 2020,

www.aclu-wa.org/pages/taking-knee-rights-students-peaceful-protest. Accessed 13 Oct.

2021.

Kneeing or not standing for the national anthem definitely gets a rise of emotions out of

many people and attention. It is the student’s choice to stand for the national anthem but sparks

the attention of many faculty and teachers as well as other students. When the silent protest is by

a student – kneeling before the national anthem, refusing to stand for the pledge of allegiance –

teachers and administrators often find that they lack guidance on how they can and how they

should respond. Many say it’s the right of students to free speech and freedom of religion, and

what actions they are entitled to take without fear of punishment, harassment, or interference.

Others disagree and say it is disrespectful and there should be consequences.

"Is It Ever Ok Not To Stand for the Flag and National Anthem?" Military Spouse, edited by

Military Spouse Team, May 2020,

www.militaryspouse.com?military-life/is-not-standing-ever-ok-for-the-flag-and-national-anthem/

.Accessed 13 Oct. 2021.

 Beyond being on a military base or post, standing and honoring the anthem is for most

Americans, a time-honored tradition that we hold very dearly. Old Glory is held with great

affection and love, for most, and we cling to it and honor our flag and the National Anthem. Of

course, the debate is not over whether someone has the right, but rather is the right way to

protest. When not showing proper respect to our nation’s greatest symbol of freedom, shows a

level of disrespect to those who have sacrificed so much for that very freedom to protest in that

way. No one would rationally argue that the right to protest should be taken away, rather weigh

the damage, and specifically weigh the collateral damage to protest in this way.

"Students held protest against ACR Kishtwar for disrespecting national anthem."

Athena Information Solutions Pvt. Ltd. KASHMIR THUNDER, 2017,

kashmirthunder.com/2017/10/12/

student-held-a-strong-protest-against-acr-for-showing-disrespect-over-national-anthem/.

Students and teachers alleged that assistant commissioner revenue (ACR) MS Khan, who

had gone to the school on Thursday in Kishtwar district on an inspection, did not respect the

national anthem playing there. “An inquiry has been ordered into the incident. The people,

especially students, are advised to maintain peace and not play in the hands of vested interests

who want to vitiate the atmosphere,” District Development Commissioner Angrez Singh Rana

told PTI.

Some teachers raised the issue, leading to protests by students.

Blad, Evie. "Students Have a Right to Protest During National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance."
 Education Week, edited by Evie Blad, 24 Sept. 2017, www.edweek.org/leadership/

students-have-a-right-to-protest-during-national-anthem-pledge-of-allegiance/2017/09.

Accessed

4 Nov. 2021.

NFL players, professional athletes in other sports, and even Stevie Wonder joined in

Kaepernick’s protest over the weekend, motivated in part by President Donald Trump’s call for

team owners to fire and otherwise silence players who committed the act of protest. Courts have

held that schools cannot compel students to participate in patriotic rituals like standing for the

national anthem or saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Some—including many in conservative

media—agree with Trump, saying that it’s inappropriate for players to make political statements

and that it’s disrespectful to military members to kneel during the anthem.Players and their

supporters said they felt it was necessary to use their voices to draw attention to an issue that

concerns them. Their protests were a call to uphold the values the anthem represents, they said,

and not intended as an act of disrespect.And some athletes who hadn’t participated in the initial

protests said they felt compelled to join because of the pressure the president’s words have put on

black athletes to silence their voices. On Saturday night, Oakland A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell

became the first Major League Baseball player to kneel during the anthem. The protests trended

on Twitter all weekend under the hashtag #TakeTheKnee.

The National Coalition Against Censorship, editor. "STUDENT PROTESTS IN SCHOOLS

AND COLLEGES: A RESOURCE." National Coalition Against Censorship., edited by The

National Coalition Against Censorship, 2016,

ncac.org/students-protesting-during-anthem-pledge-a-resource-timeline. Accessed 2021.

Protest is political speech in action; it encourages civic engagement and healthy debate

on controversial issues. The first two Supreme Court decisions on student free speech rights —

West Virginia v. Barnette (1943) and Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) — concerned student

protesters. Students have a constitutional right to participate in peaceful and non-disruptive

protests during the school day. The First Amendment prohibits public officials from disciplining

or retaliating against students for their protest unless they substantially disrupt class or

school-sponsored events.

Noll, J.G. "Here's what the military community is saying about the national anthem protest."

MilSpouseFest, edited by MilSpouseFest, 2021, milspousefest.com/

heres-military-community-saying-national-anthem-protest/.

Whether kneeling, standing, locking arms, or simply not appearing on the field, the athletes’

postures and positions sparked a discussion that led away from racial justice and police brutality

and morphed into a discussion on patriotism, which often cites respecting the military as a reason

to stand for the anthem. With that in mind, we decided to take a close look at a few responses

from the military community. (Of course, this isn’t an inclusive list of every service member,

spouse, and military-connected politician who has made a statement. This list strives to include a

diversity of background, opinion, and affiliation as space and time allow.

THE HONOR BELL FOUNDATION, editor. THE HONOR BELL FOUNDATION. 2021,

www.honorbell.org/

military-honors. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021.

After the flag has been folded, a member of the Honor Guard team will formally present

the flag to the family. Kneeling in front of the next of kin, the Guard member faces the long edge

of the flag towards the family and says “on behalf of the President of the United States, the

United States (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard), and a grateful nation,

please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and

faithful service.”