Colin Kaepernick and Michael Bennett

The United States is scared with a long and horrible history when it comes to racial discrimination. However in today's world the discrimination that plagues the United States isn't laws holding people down or the fear of being bought or sold yet today people of color have to fear dieing or being taken in a completely legal or bordering on legal way. People of color in america are more likely to die at the hands of police or be incarcerated at an alarming rate compared to whites. According to the NAACP, "African Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of  whites." Furthermore, it is not limited to males the NAACP reports,"The imprisonment rate for African American women is twice that of white women." America today has these problems that are taring it at the seams yet there is no clear solution on how to fix it.

Colin Kaepernick and Michael Bennett are two National Football League players believe that they found a way to bring awareness about the problem and get people inspired to find a permanent solution. They have both decided to take a knee during the national anthem. Now one side people believe that it is disrespectful to the american flag and the troops that risk their lives to protect it. While on the other side people believe that it brings awareness to an issue that the public has tried to sweep under the rug. Also people believe that these men have to do this because they have the influence and power to actually make change. At the same time many people believe that these men are simply paid to play football and by taking a stance on a topic during game day is taking it to far.

I an my personal option Colin Kaepernick and Mike Bennett are taking a stand on something that is important to them and the African American community. Furthermore, I believe that Kaepernick and Bennett are completely justified and should be commended for there stance and how they are proceeding with it. By taking a knee during the national anthem they are not harming anyone or calling for arms, it is silent but powerful. On top of that the national anthem is one of the best times to take a stance on something for the fact that it is one of the most televised times of those games and they show the each player individually allow them time to make there stance without disturbing the game. Each of these man have valid reasons for taking the knee: 

"There's a reality that I'm a black man in America, and there's things that are going on pertaining to minorities, pertaining to women, pertaining to kids, pertaining to religion, and we can't be hiding behind it," he continued. "We're fighting for what America is built on: That's the freedom, the equality, the justice for all and the liberty, and those are the things that I'm actually trying to remember and honor when I sit down for the flag." - Bennnett
"Once again, I'm not anti-American...I Love America. I love people. That's why I'm doing this. I want to help make America better, I think having these conversations helps everybody have a better understanding of where everybody is coming from." - Kaepernick 
These man are using their influence and power to try to make a change for the better simply by kneeling and not harming anyone. That is one of the best ways to bring awareness to a topic by doing something that will open a conversation for people to discuss the issues that are on our nation as a whole. This way many the people that see what they do will feel motivated to take a stand and go out and try create change themselves.