On Friday Cedric Ingram-Lewis and Larry McCullough had decided to protes against the National Anthem.During the National Anthem at one of their games, Cedric had raised a fist in the air, while Larry had got down to a knee. According to the coach, Ronnie Mitchem, the students had known that if they had protested the National Anthem that they would receive the punishment of getting kicked off the team. As a matter of fact the Coach had let his players before hand know that if they will protest, they will receive that punishment.
Although the coach supports the right to protest he had found that the actions of the teens were disrespectful to those who had served in military service, however , these teens were following in the footsteps of Colin Kaepernick. And the intent of Kaepernick was to protest racism and police brutality. What are your thoughts?Do you think these kids deserved being kicked off the team?
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This reminds me of the court case of Tinker v Des Moines in 1969. Although it is not the same, it has the same concept and aspects. In that case, it was ruled that even on school campus, students have the right to free speech. Therefore, I believe the teens should not be kicked off the team. I agree with the coach's ideology and respect his intentions but he doesn't have the right to force that ideology to other people. Since protesting against the National Anthem by kneeling does not affect other people is a form of free speech and does not affect other people, I believe the teens have the right to do so without punishments.
First of all, you have to admire the courage of these two student athletes, knowingly risking their place on the football team and still standing up for what they believe in. Actions like this shouldn't be rewarded by getting kicked off a football team. I don't think that the coach's opinion should matter when it comes to protesting much bigger issues than standing for the national anthem. I hope that the coach gets some sort of punishment for his actions, but judging by the fact that this in Texas, I'd say it's probable that nothing will happen to the coach.
It was incredibly wrong for the coach of the team to set being kicked off the team as a punishment for expressing one's Constitutional Rights --- free speech. Not only is this a violation of their 1st Amendment, but it is also belittling the player's motives for protesting, almost as if saying "war veterans' sacrifice is more important than what is happening to African-American individuals like you". One's Constitutional rights apply EVERYWHERE, including school campuses. I personally applaud these 2 young gentlemen for their bravery, because as Theo mentioned, such act requires great courage. In fact, such acts (peaceful protesting) are necessary in order for our nation to progress forward. Remaining silent about an issue which is destroying lives of thousands of Americans will not solve anything. Kneeling during the national anthem is NOT in any way intended to be a form of disrespect towards the American flag, but rather acknowledging that our nation is broken and that we will not stand in silence as we watch other human beings killed by those who are said to protect us. It has nothing to do with the flag, it is simply a form of bringing awareness and light to police brutality and racial discrimination in America.
The constitutional rights of minors actually don't apply everywhere, as established by Tinker v Des Moines, which set the precedent that speech may be censored if it "materially and substantially interferes" with school proceedings, and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier which ruled that school authorities can stop free expression (this was specifically newspaper) if they feel it disturbs the schools proceedings. I think it's fair to hold a school team analogous to a school as a whole, with the head coach being the "school administrator" in this case.
As cited in the article, it was the decision of the school district to allow each school to choose how they viewed the national anthem protests in their school. That particular team made it clear before the game that protesting would result in a ban.
I say all this to assert that I believe what happened to these students definitely passes the legal scrutiny test, meaning it is not a violation of their rights as they stand. I don't personally agree that kneeling for the anthem is something a school administrator should deem crossing the line, but I acknowledge it's their right to stop it. If we want change in this field, we ought to change legal precedent, which may include a landmark case in a situation much like this.
I think that no matter how offensive or ridiculous you think somebody's opinion is you cannot censor their voice as tolerance of those who hold views different than yours is a key part of keeping our nation together. People have the right to do whatever they want during the national anthem, I personally believe that kneeling for the national anthem is extremely disrespectful towards people who served this country and kneeling for the anthem gives the message that America is a bad place as a general matter. I believe that America is the greatest country on earth and it should be respected as such. However if other people think differently that is their opinion and I think that it is very unreasonable and unamerican to punish people for expressing what they believe in.
I believe that there are ways to protest respectfully during the national anthem, such as how Bruce Maxwell, the first MLB player to kneel, still placed his hand over his heart and looked at the flag. You cannot lump all anthem protesting together and claim that any form of protest is inherently equal if it's during the national anthem. One of them was still standing anyway.
I also agree with Serena's connection to Tinker v Des Moines. In that court ruling, the students right to free speech was upheld partially because it didn't interfere with school operations at all. Similarly, protesting during the national anthem doesn't interfere with school operations either.
Though I agree that veterans as well as those currently serving our country ought to be honored for all they do, I believe that these young men deserved the freedom to refuse to participate during the National Anthem; their actions were not indicative of any violence and did not actively seek out to maim the actions of what our soldiers have done for the nation. Although the coach may have good intentions and I believe that he very well should have the right to voice his own opinions, I do not find it fair for him to impede on their First Amendment right to freedom of speech and restrict their right to stand up for their own political beliefs.
I think it was wrong for the coach to kick these athletes off the team. While I do believe it is extremely disrespectful to the country and the people who served in the military, people have the right to protest under the 1st amendment. It is extremely unfair for the coach to not recognize this and tell them that they will be kicked off. While many think it is rude, we still must understand that the actions of these actions and many other professional athletes is that it's a right granted to people under the constitution.
I do not think that schools should kick athletes off teams for protesting the national anthem. Students have a right to protest even on school grounds (Tinker vs. DesMoines)
I think that if the school is a public school, the 1st amendment rights must be protected and kneeling during the anthem cannot result students being kicked off the team, as this is wrongful discrimination and deters free speech. Since the public school is an extension of the government, they must uphold all of the rights of the people. However, if the school they go to is a private school, then I think it is more unclear, as private schools have more jurisdiction and can impose things such as religion.
As stated by the others, the students are protected by their First Amendment rights, so they should have the freedom to kneel without being punished for it. That being said, it is unfair that they were kicked off of the team for exercising their given rights. Their actions were not by any means intended to cause harm to anyone, so it was wrong of the coach to punish them for peacefully protesting as they did. Adding to Alexa's point, kneeling during the national anthem is not meant as an act of disrespect toward those who fought for the country, but as a way to shed light on the discrimination faced by some citizens. Kneeling is just a peaceful method of protesting, and those students should not have been punished as they were for helping to raise awareness for their cause.
I don't think that these kids deserved to be kicked off the team because their constitutional 1st amendment rights should be protected. Getting kicked off the team for kneeling down during the nation anthem violates their freedom of speech. It is unfair that their rights aren't being recognized and that the coach punishes them for their opinions. Although I do believe that those who serve our country should be respected, students should still have the right to protest inequality in our nation. I do think that it was really brave of the students to protest even though they knew of their punishment;yet I still think that they should not be punished for standing up for their beliefs.
I do not think that these players deserved to get kicked off the team. I agree with Megan in that these players should be protected under the first amendment. It is their constitutional right to express their opinion; it's unconstitutional for the players to be kicked off the team for kneeling down during the national anthem because they have the right to freedom of speech. While I understand that some may think that is disrespectful to those that serve our country, people still have the right to express their beliefs. Also, their protest was regarding an race and police brutality in our nation; it had nothing to do with disrespecting those that serve our nation. This was a peaceful protest. If there was violence, then I would have a different opinion on this situation, however, they did nothing wrong. I actually find this to be extremely impressive and brave; these players knew that they would be punished, but they recognized the importance of this cause and inequality.
Students deciding to protest the National Anthem should not be punished as they are exercising their rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. In Texas v. Johnson, the court ruled that states could not ban burning of the US flag, although it is seen as disrespectful to many, because it violated citizens' freedom of speech — similarly, though not identical, protesting the National Anthem, which many have argued as disrespectful to the country, is guaranteed by the freedom of speech, and thus is not punishable. Though it can be compared to the situation of Texas v. Johnson, I don’t see it as exactly the same since I believe these athletes are not acting with the purpose of disrespecting veterans who served our country, but instead are making a stand against the racial injustice prevalent today. However, in both instances, freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment are seen to be and must be preserved. Additionally, many criticize the act of violent protest, so this form of peaceful protest should not be condemned in such a manner.
I agree with Austin, as everyone who just mentions Tinker v. Des Moines seems to see it as a clean cut case, while it is more complicated and situational. If an action interferes with the goal of a school and its proceedings, it can be challenged and punished. I think it particularly applies to things that the school funds and controls, and activities like a newspaper or football team where the students only have it because the school provides it. In these cases, schools should be able to determine guidelines.
I believe that they were inspired to protest for the message Kaepernick sent and that his form of protest had been effective.However, the scenarios are different based on their rights in school are slightly restricted. But in this case, the first amendment and the right to freedom of expression should not be restricted and they should.I believe that it i not right they are kicked from the team, but it is also the coaches right to kick them off the team as the director.
I don't believe that players should be kicked off of teams for taking a knee during the national anthem. With that being said, the right to do it depends on if a school is private or public. Private schools may have the right to do so but a public school does not. In Tinker v Des Moines, the idea that an action on a campus must interfere with others to be worthy of punishment was established. In this case, I don't believe that the football players were in any way hurting anyone else. Although many may disagree with the players actions, taking a knee is their way of expression. This form of protest shouldn't cause outrage. It's peaceful and is effectively getting the point across, so i don't see what's wrong.
I agree with Serena that this case reminds me of how students protested against the Vietnam war with wearing black armbands in Tinker v. Des Moines in 1969. And similarly I believe that the same freedom of expression should be applied to these students. They do not wish to sing against the national anthem, that is their right of speech or to withhold speech. They have a right to their own opinions, of which are not causing any harm to anyone or the progress of the team. Because there was no harm done, I believe the students should not be kicked out of the team.
I believe that these students should not be kicked off the team. It is their right and choice to peacefully protest like they are. Additionally, they are protesting for the very prevalent and valid reason of racial inequality and police brutality; they are not doing this to disrespect the military in any way. This act of protest does not harm or cause danger to anyone, so I do not see as to why it would be bad enough for them to be kicked off the team.
Like has already been mentioned, this reminds me of Tinker v. Des Moines where the supreme court ruled that students maintain their first amendment rights on school campuses as long as their speech (symbolic or otherwise) doesn't "materially and substantially interfere" with the operation of the school. Since the speech in question is referring to kneeling during a sports game which takes place after school hours and not in the classroom, I think it is safe to say it doesn't interfere with instruction and should therefore be allowed.
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