Stand or Kneel
There has been a controversy lately in sports and in politics that people should have to stand for the pledge. One of the biggest stirrups in the past few years has been the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick chose not to stand for the pledge of allegiance in a preseason game during the 2016-17 season. He chose to do so to stand up for oppression and how minorities are treated by police. “I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed, To me this is something that has to change. When there’s significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent, this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.” the quarterback stated after the protest. Unsurprisingly, he received a lot of hate with people saying he was disrespecting troops and the U.S. Military. He also said this was not the case at all. Colin believes that There’s people being murdered unjustly and not being held accountable. Also, that police brutality needed to be fixed. His protest came in support of the Black Lives Matter movement after a burst of police-involved shootings, including the death of Philando Castile, a black motorist shot and killed by a Minnesota police officer and Alton Sterling who was fatally shot by two white Baton Rouge police officers.(2018 Global News)
Now let's look at the facts involving police brutality. Around 1200 people were killed last year by police alone, and over 25% of those killed were black when only 12% of the U.S. is black. In the United States if you are black you’re 3x more likely to be killed by police than any other race. Not to mention, 13 of the top 100 police department shoot black men at a higher rate than the U.S. murder rate. Nearly less than ⅓ of black people killed were noted as committing a violent crime and armed.(2017) Quite obviously, there's no reason for police violence, because the city of Buffalo, NY. has a population of 260,000 with about 50% of the population being not white and the violent crime rate being 12 per 100,000 but, they've killed zero black people from 2013-16. In Orlando, FL. there are around 255,000 with 42% of the population being non-white with the violent crime rate at 10 per 100,000 but in the past 5 years police killed 15 black people.
Now some may see why Kaepernick is not standing for the pledge, and some may not. Trump is part of that “some that may not”. Trump said whoever supports the movement and decides not to stand for the pledge is “a son of a bitch” and said the protest had nothing to deal with race. Before Trump made these comments and many more on twitter there were only about 6 players protesting. After the comments over 200 players kneeled, sat, or didn't come to the field for the pledge. Later in the year Kaepernick was no longer part of the 49ers organization and hasn't signed with a team since. His supporters and he himself believes that teams have not offered him a contract because of the protests. One of his first supporters was Eric Reid, a safety for the 49ers. After Colin kneeled the first game Eric said he started to pay attention to police brutality and equality. He then protested the next game with Kaepernick and was asked why, “The posts on social media deeply disturbed me, but one in particular brought me to tears: the killing of Alton Sterling in my hometown Baton Rouge, La,” Reid wrote. “This could have happened to any of my family members who still live in the area. I felt furious, hurt and hopeless.”
The new rule requiring NFL players to “either stand for the national anthem or remain in the locker room”, has got a lot of criticism. More than half of Americans are against protests during the national anthem and support the new policy. Many fans chose not to go to games and purchase NFL memorabilia over what they viewed as disrespect for the country. Others view this as a good form of athlete protests, and around 32 percent are against the new policy.
Overall, it is unlikely that the new rule was put in by patriotism from NFL owners and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. First things first, the NFL needs profits and the protests drop viewership. Less viewers mean less income for the league. Colin Kaepernick has traveled across the country and has spoke to hundreds of thousands about this issue he feels so strongly about. He has donated over a million dollars to various organizations supporting the same things.
She lead me to a room. B24 I think. On the door was a sticker that said “Mrs. Cook.” I followed her in, but there was no one else in the classroom but her, “I brought you in early because your teacher from last year told me you were bullied a lot.. So I figured I would get to know you and let you pick out the desk you want and let you get set up. How does that sound?” I didn’t know what to say, of course I wanted to do this, but couldn't this open a door to more bullying? The kid who has to sit inside with the teacher because she has no friends? “Yeah. that sounds good. Thank you.” I said, in spite of all the things I was secretly worrying about.
“ My name is Brianna Cook. I have 2 dogs and there names are Riley and Max, I love traveling and teaching kids like you. Now it’s your turn.” she said, “My name is Katie Bryan as you know, I have 2 sisters I like hot chocolate and the beach.” I said.
“That’s a good start. Thank you for telling me that. Your mom says that you are very very smart and that you are gifted. How cool is that?” I guess it would be cool if I wasn't bullied for it. “It’s cool I guess.” I say, it’s pretty often people tell me my gift is “cool.” There are just times I wish this gift was given to someone else. “You don’t seem too thrilled about it… is something wrong?” she questioned I could tell her, but that would make life much too easy, and lord knows i’m not one for easy. “I’m just tired.” I said, but it was fairly obvious she knew I was not just tired. “Ok, well I know everything I need to know I guess, why don’t you pick a desk and locker and get your things set up. I have to bring the rest of your class inside in about eight minutes, that should give you plenty of time.” she said smiling ear to ear. Like I said too bubbly and happy to trust.
About ten minutes later my entire class came in. Some I knew from last year, others were brand new from out of state. After everyone was set up and in their spots, Mrs. Cook introduced herself to everyone just like she did to me.
“ My name is Brianna Cook. I have 2 dogs and there names are Riley and Max, I love traveling and teaching kids like all of you. Now it’s your turn.” she said to the class,
“I’m going to call names of everyone on my list and I want you stand up and tell us all your name and three things about you that you want to share. Then we will go over some rules and things of that nature.” she said.
When I get nervous or anxious I watch the clock hands tick back and forth and back and forth. It really does help, the beat of the ticking reminds me to breathe.
“Izabella Walker? Can you stand up please” Mrs. Cook said. After six years of school, I know that anyone whose name starts with the letter I goes just before I do. The list is in alphabetical order I comes before J and J comes before K, so i’m either close to next or next.
“My name is Izabella Walker, I’m eleven, turning twelve next month I have an older brother and a younger one and I just moved here from Denver.” she said.
I could tell she was new, she looked so nervous, almost as nervous as me. “Katie Bryan? Will you stand up please?” Mrs. Cook said. Why does it have to be me?
“My name is Katie Bryan, I have 2 sisters, I like hot chocolate and the beach.” I said,
I don’t want to make things harder for myself than they already are. In the corner of my eye I saw two girls I had class with last year, they were laughing, which seemed odd because I hadn't done anything funny, but I assume they just remember me from last year. “Thank you Katie for sharing, now lets have -” she said, but I stopped listening, I was to focused on the girls in the front of the room. Oh boy, another year with more bullies, more people who can’t stand the thought of actually being my friend. There comes a point where you just expect these things because your not the same as the rest of them.
The class had continued with the introductions and then the rules. But at 10:15 the bell rang for recess, I didn’t want to go outside, that's where all the bullying happens. I wandered up to Mrs. Cooks desk, ever so politely I asked “can I please stay inside, I promise I will help you with things around the classroom.” “On any other day I would let you, but since today is the first day of school I don’t think so. It’s time for you to go make friends and have fun. I can’t have you inside helping me when all that is waiting for you outside. It just wouldn’t be fair.” she said. “But it’s ok.. I don’t even want to go outside so I wouldn’t be missing out on anything.” I replied, but even the nicest of nice couldn’t change her mind. “No sweetie, you need to go outside.” she exclaimed, I thought it best not to argue with her seeing as I would get myself nowhere.
I slowly made my way outside with hopes that the bell would ring before I made it outside, everything was going according to my plan then a teacher across the hall said to me “why aren’t you outside yet? Your class was dismissed 5 minutes ago, go on outside.” was that absolutely necessary? Who was I hurting? I felt like voicing my thoughts out loud, but I thought it was best not to get in trouble on the first day of school.
“Ok.” I nodded. “Well go on.” she said a second time. “I’m going.” I said she disappeared into her room and came back out with a piece of paper it read “I didn’t listen to Mrs. Hannah.” it was an all red paper. She stapled it to my shirt and said “make sure your teacher sees this!” and she stormed off, but not before reminding me a third time to “make my way outside.”
There was no way I was going to purposely get myself in trouble if I could easily avoid it. So I pulled the paper off my shirt and threw it in the nearest garbage and continued to make my way outside.
I got to the back doors and still had 11 minutes left of recess. I sat on the edge of the sidewalk by the biggest tree of the entire playground. I hoped that everyone would just leave me alone.
“Your name is Katie right?” a voice said. “Yea thats my name, your Izabella.” I said. It’s quite shocking that someone actually came up to me first. “Yeah.. I’m from denver. I just moved her actually.” she said. “Ok, so I was bullied a lot back in my old school because of my skin color, are you the kind of person who does things like that because I’m not wasting any time on mean people this year.” she said.
I guess she was not someone to mess with. “No, I’m not that kind of person, I get bullied every year and I hate it, I would never do it to someone else.” I said “why are you bullied?” she asked. But the bell rang, thankfully, that’s always along story.
Our entire class lined up, I stood by Izabella and she stood behind the two girls who I saw laughing at me. They stood there laughing and pointing at me and Izabella. Were they just doing it to be mean? Were they doing it because we looked funny? Why were they pointing and laughing? Mrs.Cook came out of the building. “She looked very upset at all of us. “I just heard from Mrs. Hannah that one of my students was in trouble for talking back and refusing to go outside, I have a feeling I know who it is. But I won’t say it until me and that student have a chance to talk. Now let’s go in.” she said. She stopped by me in the line and whispered “was it you?”
“Yes it was, but-” she cut me off, “ If you give me an excuse then I have to take you to the principal and I don’t want to have to do that, so i’m gonna stand here and pretend to have a talk with you about how talking back to teachers is unacceptable then we can go inside. Ok?” she said. I nodded and smiled. “Don’t smile” she says “then it looks like i’m not doing my job.” she winked. “lets go inside with everyone else, that wind is cold.” She put her arm around my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry about Mrs. Hannah, she’s just a mean lady.” I smiled and laughed. Mrs. Cook seemed like someone I could really really like.
Sometime passed and Mrs.cook had to go over lockdown and fire drill procedures. It was a normal first day of school, until lunchtime that is. The entire class had finished playing a game and we were lining up for lunch, and the same two girls who had been laughing at me all morning said “Hey brainy, remember us from last year?” is bullying something that just has to happen to everyone? “Yes I remember you. Your name is Heaven” I said pointing to the left. “And your name is Sofia” I said pointing to the right. “You made fun of me for being smart.” I said “No, we made fun of you for being a know it all. Don’t flatter yourself big brains.” they replied. No teacher ever sees the bullying, and that’s why it always goes unpunished. I walked off, trying to ignore their hateful comments. As if that would make them stop. “Where are you going? We weren’t done.” as cliche as this sounds, it’s actually happening.. “ if you do our homework this entire year we won’t be mean at all!” they said to me “no fingers crossed?” I said, it seems so simple and yet I feel obligated to ask. “What are you five? No, no fingers crossed.” the girls both said. “Fine.” I agreed. “Bye big brains.” they walked off. They both thought what they said was an insult, but “big brains.” is actually a compliment, I would rather have a big brain than a small one.
I walked up to Mrs.Cook not long after the girls left. Not to snitch of course. “Can I stay inside this recess Mrs. Cook? Please I promise to be productive.” I said again, in hopes she would change her mind. “Why are are you so insistent stay inside Katie. It’s only the second recess of the first day, your a smart girl, you know how to make friends.” she said. She spoke the truth. I am a smart girl, and I do know how to make friends, I just choose not to. “I just don’t like being outside, I would rather be inside.” I said there was some truth is that statement. I would rather be inside, but not because I don’t like it outside. “I think you should go outside, you can’t hide from uncomfortable situations forever, your in 5th grade. Why don’t you try confronting them katie? You already know I will back you up” she said. I didn’t know she heard them. “if you heard them, why didn’t you say anything?” I said. “Because if I stepped in you would be known as the girl who needs help from the teacher to fight bullies. Do you want that?” of course not, but I didn’t want her to think she was right. “No..” I whispered “Katie please go outside, I don’t want to have to send you to the office for disobeying my instructions.” she said to me. I nodded. On some level I agreed with her, but I was also hurt she didn’t say anything to those girls.
What do I even say to them? “Stop bullying me or I will tell on you!” will get me nowhere. “I don’t understand why you don’t like me. But it has to stop, I have always been nice to you, so there is no reason to have such an awful attitude towards me.” a voice said. “Izabella?” I said.
“Yep, and you should tell them what I just said.” she told me. “Why weren’t you at lunch? I saved you a seat next to me.” she questioned. “I was talking to the teacher.” I said. “You want me to come with you to talk to them?” she asked. Of course I did not want to be alone, however this seems like something I have to do by myself. “No thank you, but I will say exactly what you told me to say. Ok?” “ok.” she said and then I ran ahead “wait at the tree for me please.” I said.
I rehearsed over and over and over in my head exactly what I was going to say, the more I said it, the easier it became. “I need to talk to you.” I said to Sofia “can you get heaven too please?” I said. I grew more and more anxious as we waited for heaven. Over and over in my head I could hear exactly what I wanted to say. Heaven approached me. “What do you want?” She said. “I don’t understand why you don’t like me. But it has to stop, I have always been nice to you, so there is no reason to have such an awful attitude towards me, And I won’t be doing any homework for you, because you won’t be bullying me either way.” I said loud and proud. “That’s so rude, i’m telling.” she said. She ran off and told our teacher. She came up to all of us girls and said “katie what did you say?” so I told her exactly what I said word for word. “I don’t understand why you don’t like me. But it has to stop, I have always been nice to you, so there is no reason to have such an awful attitude towards me, And I won’t be doing any homework for you, because you won’t be bullying me either way.”
Mrs. Cook had a shocked look on her face. “Good job Katie, you weren’t rude, but you told them exactly how you felt. High five girly.” she said to me, both the girls jaws dropped. “But she bullied us.” Heaven said. “No, I heard the way you two girls spoke to her before lunch, that was bullying. This is standing up for yourself. I think both of you girls need to go to the office.” She said to them. That was All I had to do, it seems too easy, but it really really solved the problem.
A few hours later we were at the third and final recess of the day. Both the girls came up to me and apologized. There is no reason for me not to accept their apology. They seemed sincere, “thank you, apology accepted.” I said. The rest of the day we just read stories with Mrs. Cook, and talked about the rest of this school year. It was a lot of fun. I think i’m gonna like Mrs. Cook.