The NFL had an eventful opening to its season, as players from multiple teams have chosen to kneel or sit as a sign of protest during the National Anthem. The players’ actions resulted in a great amount of backlash, but have also gained a tremendous amount of support.

All those against the kneeling are claiming that it is disrespectful, but when has kneeling become a sign of disrespect? When a player is injured during a game, other players kneel to show respect. The NFL players are supposedly are kneeling for those hurting in our country, attempting to show and acknowledg the injustices against them. The players’ kneeling is not a sign of disrespect towards the flag, the country or any members of the military; it is rather an attempt to bring awareness to the social issues in our country today.

Law enforcement and military families are making the strongest arguments against the players’ actions. The flag and national anthem do not directly correlate with the military or law enforcement. The flag is a symbol of our country and everything it stands for; freedom, equality and justice for all. Do we want to live in a country filled with racism and citizens too scared to stand up against it? Or would we rather have a country with citizens peacefully protesting, using their platforms in a positive way? We need to go back and think of our country at its core, asking ourselves if the America we are living in today is the best it can be.

Despite the many negative reactions, the NFL players are ultimately succeeding at their goal of getting attention from viewers, fans and the media. When you are scrolling through an article bashing players for their actions or reading President Trump’s tweets on the issue, don’t forget to keep in mind the goal of the players–to give a voice to all those who don’t have one.