The four Miami Dolphins who took a knee during the playing of the national anthem on Sunday afternoon may be taking the most heat for their actions, but they were not alone.
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That Sunday’s games fell on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks seemed to heighten the attention on those protests which started with San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick being spotted sitting on the bench before a preseason game against the Packers last month. Sitting or kneeling down during the national anthem is a disgrace to those people who have served and now serve our country.
Perhaps belatedly realizing that messages of 140 characters or less were not the ideal format for a complex political discussion, Upton moved her thoughts to the more expansive medium of Instagram.
“This is unacceptable”, she posted with a photo of Miami Dolphins players taking a knee during the “Star Spangled Banner” on Sunday, the 15th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In that photo, Richard Sherman, coach Pete Carroll, and other players stand with interlocking arms during the anthem. Upton would go on to say that she supports the rights of people to protest, but that during the two minutes it takes to play the national anthem, everyone should stand. Kaepernick and others who are choosing to kneel during the National Anthem love this country as much as anyone. Recent history has shown that it is a place where anyone no matter what race or gender has the potential to become President of the United States. Should more players follow Foster’s lead, however, we could be looking at an even bigger story in the coming days and weeks. After the song is over, I would encourage everyone to please use the podium they have, stand up for their beliefs, and make America a better place. That’s the handsome thing about this country.
And then she Tweeted some more. “Sitting or kneeling down during the national anthem is a disgrace to those people who have served and now serve our country”, Upton, 24, wrote in a lengthy post. “The lessons of 911 should teach us that if we come together, the world can be a better and more peaceful place #neverforget”. We respect these liberties and appreciate the sacrifices that everyone has made for our country, especially on this day of remembrance. They’re upset this country is failing to hold itself to the standards and morals we claim to believe in. “And we have to respect that”.
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– W. Amaslayus Mozart (@blkgawdduss) September 11, 2016@KateUpton also, do you see the irony here behind you, a white person demanding when black people exercise their right to protest?
