Texas State responds to Colin Kaepernick controversy

                                 

Michaela Guillory
Psychology major (junior) 

1. Do you know about the controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick and the NFL?

"Yes"

2. Describe the situation in your own words.

"Colin felt somebody needed to take a stance on the way that African Americans, among other minorities, are treated in the US. He started kneeling during the national anthem and it started a movement."

3. How do you feel about this approach?

"It's pretty cool, not that I agree 100% with the approach, but he is using his platform to bring awareness to a situation that others would rather push under the rug. It's his way of protesting and you can't say anything about that."

4. How do you feel about the NFL's response?

"The NFL stopping him proves what Kaepernick was saying. The NFL placing limits on how people can exercise their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and protest may be their decision but that doesn't mean that it's the best response and that doesn't mean that the actual protesting will stop."

5. How do you think that the situation should be approached?

"If I were Colin, then I'd keep doing what I'm doing. It has started a movement that many support, so he should finish what he started."

Brittany Ham

Art professor 

1. Do you know about the controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick and the NFL?

"Yes"

2. Describe the situation in your own words.

"Colin is kneeling to protest police violence against black Americans and gun violence."

3. How do you feel about this approach?

"It's fine - peaceful protest is a very important part of our constitutional rights and I think that it would be silly not to take advantage of them. I have no problem with his kneeling and I think that it is brave to do something that is going to be so upsetting to so many people. Coming from a military family, my father served, I understand that there will be a gut reaction for those people who have put their own lives on the line and even seen friends die to protect this country - which the flag/anthem symbolically represent. Tough situations call for that gut reaction/struggle, the civil rights movement didn't happen by people holding hands - the right things are not always easy. He is taking advantage of his constitutional rights in a very meaningful way."

4. How do you feel about the NFL's response?

"The NFL's response is suppressing and disregards the public role of protest. Their policy sounds pandering."

5. How do you think that the situation should be approached?

"I think that peaceful protest, in the form of kneeling, should be protected despite understanding the sensitivity surrounding those national symbols. It's good and worthy to continue, it's started a conversation, it's successfully fulfilling its job."