This year’s NFL controversy: should NFL players stand or take a knee to the National Anthem? On Sunday afternoon in Tennessee, the Seahawks and the Titans responded to this controversy by just staying in the locker rooms instead of doing either. This was a form of silent protesting. People like Donald Trump think standing for the flag is patriotic, “I Spoke to Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys yesterday. Jerry is a winner who knows how to get things done. Players will stand for their Country!” The issue is NFL players like Kapernick think standing for the flag is not about patriotism but rather that of being equal to the other races. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” He stands up for those who do not feel equal in a country that supposedly stands for equality. So many teams are silently protesting because they do not feel like they are treated equal. More athletes protested because our President, Donald Trump, instead of attempting to understand their side of the story, decided to attack them. The National Anthem is a big part of our country because as a nation, we fought to bring freedom to citizens. Unfortunately, as clearly displayed by this current issue, several people still feel that they are fighting for their rights. Kapernick and his friend who is a member of the U.S. Army talked before the game. Kapernick was initially going to remain seated for the National anthem, but his friend convinced him to kneel instead. They came up with this idea in order to correspond with the conventional kneel that is taken for someone who has fallen or died. Correspondingly, this action was taken in order to respect the men and women who have died to protect our country. One thing that must be taken away is the concrete fact that Kapernick’s actions had nothing to do with his lack of patriotism. This issue is based off the problem of equality.