the grAde

Running head: CONFLICTING VIEWPOINTS PART 1

Conflicting Viewpoints Part 1

Introduction

Is declining to stand for the national anthem a suitable form of protest? Yes, it is justified for one to refuse to rise when the flag is being raised when we believe that our freedoms and rights are curtailed because of one or two things. Based on this topic, those who began it like Colin Kaepernick are justified because they are fighting for the rights of African Americans. Black people are killed without any course, checked on the roads and suspicious arrested and justice delayed. Based on such injustices, I have every reason to support the national anthem protest. However, there are others that understand that it is wrong to refuse to stand for the national anthem whatever the case.

The following are the Cons for refusing to stand;

1. Declining to stand for the national anthem shows disrespect for the flag and branches of the armed forces.

a. What is interesting or helpful about this view

This view is unusual in the sense that it enables me to see the other side of the coin. People that have not been in the military will not know how important it is to honor the national flag. This must be the very purpose why most of those who oppose this protest mention the army.

b. What would I notice if I believed this view?

If I believed this view, I would notice that those who support it are on the wrong. I will be able to see why we need to respect the flag. I will notice that the flag is a simple that unites us all. It will remind me of how our heroes fought for this country, and even some lost their lives.

c. In what sense or under what conditions might this idea be true?"

This idea could be true if the United States flag were only for the military. I think that the flag is for us all, children, teachers, the military, accountants, and engineers among others are all under the same constitution.

2. Not standing for the national flag is an ineffective and counterproductive way to promote a cause.

a. What is interesting or helpful about this view

When you fail to stand for the national anthem and flag, people will view you as one who disregards the country rather than knows your cause. I fact, most people will hear more about your critics rather than your purpose.

b. What would I notice if I believed this view?

I noticed that not standing for the national anthem and flag has been stereotyped to be for the minorities. Rather than people viewing it as a way of separation between the majority and the minority. It is also unproductive because it separated people who have the same vision. For instance, Obama is a black American, who will want to see equality and yet he was opposed to the idea of kneeling (Casteel, 2017).

c. In what sense or under what conditions might this idea be true?"

This condition can be true when there are alternative ways of solving the problems that the minorities face.

3. Refusing to stand for the National Anthem offends many people and instills division in our country.

a. What is interesting or helpful about this view

This view disassociates with anything that may cause division among the Americans. Indeed we should be mindful of what divides us and shun them.

b. What would I notice if I believed this view?

53% of Americans do not approve this idea of protests when the national flag is raised. Most of them even want NFL team owners to develop measures to punish those who kneel during the national anthem (Clement & Guskin, 2017).

c. In what sense or under what conditions might this idea be true?"

Just recently, people were burning Nikes shoes and products because of using Kaepernick to endorse the product. The way our president opposes the idea of kneeling and the military also shows that this idea of kneeling is unwelcome in many quarters. Trump stated that "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out — he's fired!'" (Szoldra, 2017).

Conclusion

In our daily lives, we are often forced to choose between two or more things. Some people will end up determining what we hate or do not approve of. Whichever the case, it helps to bring out a debate so that we understand each other's reason for choosing a given scenario. We tend to believe that what we know or feel it is the best yet the truth is, we have ideas that make us do so. Just like in this paper, It may or may not be right what a flag is being raised or during the singing of the national anthem.

References

Casteel, K. (2017). How Do Americans Feel About The NFL Protests? It Depends On How You Ask. Retrieved from https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-do-americans-feel-about-the-nfl-protests-it-depends-on-how-you-ask/

Clement, S. & Guskin, E. (2017). Poll: 53 percent of Americans say it’s ‘never appropriate’ to kneel during the national anthem. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2018/05/23/poll-53-percent-of-americans-say-its-never-appropriate-to-kneel-during-the-national-anthem/?noredirect=on

Szoldra, P. (2017). What some us troops really think about Colin Kaepernick and kneeling during the national anthem. Retrieved from https://taskandpurpose.com/troops-kaepernick-national-anthem-trump/

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