The #takeaknee movement has been flooding social media lately in response to various professional sports teams who have decided to opt out of the tradition of standing for the national anthem. Both Conservatives and Liberals are extremely passionate about this movement, which originated from The San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick when he took a knee during the National Anthem in San Diego. Kaepernick did not stand for the country’s anthem as an act of civil protest against police brutality, systematic oppression towards people of color, and the criminal justice system.

Over a year after Kaepernick’s act of civil protest gained public attention, NFL teams, such as the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers, have decided to participate in this act of peaceful protest, which has garnered both respect and disapproval. The President has publicly addressed the events on multiple occasions, clearly angered due to what he thinks are “unpatriotic” actions. Trump has tweeted “Very important that NFL players STAND tomorrow, and always, for the playing of our National Anthem. Respect our Flag and our Country” and “tremendous backlash against the NFL and its players for disrespect of our Country #StandForOurAnthem”, clearly advocating that he does not support the movement.

Participants of the #takeaknee movement have explicitly stated that their decision to kneel during the National Anthem is not to disrespect the country or flag, but to rather to ensure that the lives and liberties of those in the country are represented fairly and equally. Whether or not one agrees with the movement, it it important to understand that taking a knee is not a protest against the anthem or the flag, but rather that systematic oppression that continues to exist in American society.