AS IT IS 2016-09-11 American Athletes Protest National Anthem

AS IT IS 2016-09-11 American Athletes Protest National Anthem¹

The National Football League opens its season in cities across the United States this weekend.

Fans will be cheering for their favorite teams and players during games Sunday and Monday. But many people will also be paying attention to what happens before the game.

America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” is played before many sporting events in the U.S. This has been the case for about 100 years.

In most cases, fans and players stand up, look toward the flag, and sing the words to the song.

But recently, one player has not done that.

Colin Kaepernick is a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Kaepernick did not stand for the anthem before the San Francisco game on August 26. The game was an exhibition. The results do not count toward the teams’ standings.

Colin Kaepernick said he chose not to stand as protest. He said he was objecting to the way black people and people of color are treated in the United States.

He spoke³ about police killings⁵ of unarmed African-Americans. He said “there are bodies in the street” and “people … getting away with murder.”

There was mixed public reaction to Kaepernick’s action.

The Associated Press news agency talked to two fans at a game the following week. The 49ers were playing the San Diego Chargers.

Leo Uzcategui is a Navy veteran. He was not happy to see Kaepernick.

Uzcategui said he understood Kaepernick’s right to express his views. But he objected to the way the athlete did so.

Uzcategui told the AP: “I was in the Navy and I saw men and women bleed and die for this flag … you don't sit during … the national anthem. That is not the way to do it.”

Another fan, Domenique Banks, asked Kaepernick to sign a shirt she had.

“I told him I appreciate what he is standing² up for,” Banks said. “Most of the people I talk to say the same thing. I don't like that he is sitting during the national anthem, but I appreciate what he is standing for,” she said.

The news media also asked President Barack Obama about Kaepernick.

“I think he cares about some real, legitimate⁶ issues that have to be talked about,” Obama said. “And, if nothing else, what he’s done is he’s generated more conversation around some topics that need to be talked about. Sometimes it's messy, but it's the way democracy works.”

Other NFL players and athletes in other sports said they support Kaepernick.

Megan Rapinoe is a soccer player and a member of the USA women’s soccer team. She did not stand for the national anthem before her team’s game on September 4.

Rapinoe said she wanted to show support for Kaepernick. She also said that she feels her personal liberties are not always protected because she is gay.

Is Kaepernick’s protest just one part of a trend? It seems athletes might be speaking more freely about social issues than in recent years.

On the final day of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, Ethiopian runner Feyisa Lilesa won a silver medal in the marathon. As he crossed the finish line, he crossed his arms just above his head to make the shape of an “X.”

Lilesa was protesting the Ethiopian government’s killing⁴ of Oromo people.

Human Rights Watch says more than 400 Oromo activists⁷ were killed last year. The Oromo had used the sign during protests. The Ethiopian government says Human Rights Watch inflated⁸ the number of dead.

Lilesa has told reporters he will be punished if he returns home to Ethiopia. That country’s government has said he would be treated like a hero.

American basketball stars LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade⁹ and Chris Paul recently spoke about the subject of athlete protest. They said professional athletes should speak when they see something about society they do not like.

“We all have to do better,” James said.

Ricky Jean-Francois is an NFL player for the Washington Redskins. He told VOA that he agreed: Athletes should not stay silent.

”Each and every other day, we’re talking about change. But if nobody’s voicing their opinion, or no one’s taking action, we get screamed at each and every other day and nothing’ll be done. So now, as you can see, slowly but surely, things are changing, things are being brought to attention. Topics are not being washed away no more. Now they’re here. So hopefully as time goes on, things will change with that.”

All of Kaepernick’s protests came during exhibition games. Many people are curious what will happen before San Francisco’s first game of the new season on Monday night.

Recent news reports say that players from another NFL team are considering a protest. Jeremy Lane, a player for the Seattle Seahawks, did not stand during the anthem before his team’s last game.

Seattle plays Sunday. Bobby Wagner is a Seattle player. Wagner told reporters in Seattle all of the players would do something together.

“The world needs to see people coming together versus¹⁰ being individuals,” Wagner said.

Kaepernick said he would give money to human rights groups. He promised $1 million of his earnings¹¹ this season. He also said he would donate the money that comes from the sales of shirts with his name.

Late in the week, San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York said the team would also donate $1 million to two local organizations. They work on solving the racial and economic inequality in the area.

Words in This Story

anthem – n. a formal song of loyalty¹², praise, or happiness

high-profile – adj. attracting a lot of attention in newspapers, on television, etc.

adopt – v. to take a child of other parents legally as your own child

legitimate - adj. real, accepted or official

generate – v. to produce (something) or cause (something) to be produced

messy – adj. not clean or tidy

versus – prep. used to indicate two different things, choices, etc., that are being compared or considered

medal – n. a piece of metal often in the form of a coin with designs and words in honor of a special event, a person, or an achievement

conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people : the act of talking in an informal way

topic – n. someone or something that people talk or write about

appreciate – v. to be aware of (something) : to recognize or understand (something)

1 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

6 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 inflated   

adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。
• They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

10 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

11 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

12 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。