Is Taking a Knee the "Right" Thing to do? 

           Since the minute you were able to make your own decisions, all around you, people encourage you to stand up for what you believe in. Some people will encourage you to stand up within reason, and others no matter the circumstance or consequence. Although these people may mold or influence your beliefs and decisions, you have the final say in what you feel is right and wrong. There is a very controversial topic souring in the media right now. During the national anthem, public sport figures have begun to take a seat or take a knee. This protest began with the 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.

           On September 1, 2016, Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem before a preseason game. This sparked conversation and debate, but like any good protest, he had followers. Many people argued this stand to be disrespectful and unpatriotic. However, Kaepernick felt he had a justified reason to refuse standing for our country. In Kaepernick’s interviews he stated that he would not show pride for a country which suppresses African Americans and other minority groups. If this wasn’t a reoccurring issue, would Kaepernick have so many people following in his footsteps? Many viewers believed that Kaepernick should have left his political beliefs to his own time and circumstances. And that a public figure should not use his/her publicity to raise awareness for their stand on such a controversial topic. However, if his beliefs and feelings on the topic were so strong, why not use publicity. Kaepernick is getting pummeled in the media for his stand and how he went about it, but who is to tell him his beliefs are wrong. If he is trying to stand up and make a change for something he truly believes in, the press ridiculing him won’t stand in his way. Instead of standing against him, why not stand with him and help change the way the people of the world view minority groups.

The "Right" Thing To Do

The “right” thing to do is nothing but a personal opinion based on morals and your upbringing. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s views on doing the right thing was that violence is never the answer, not even when violence or force is being used on you. In some circumstances, this can definitely be considered the “right” thing to do especially when it involves standing up for what you believe in. While reading Do the Right Thing the character that reminded me the most of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was Da Mayor. The main scene that connects the two together is at the end of the script after the police killed Radio Raheem. Radio Raheem was killed when the police put him in a choke hold to restrain him and get him away from Sal, who he was choking. When they pulled him off and put him into the hold he was struggling, but eventually the struggling stopped and he was lifeless. After his murder took place, the surrounding crowd got angry and formed a mob which went after Sal, Vito, and Pino. In turn, Da Mayor tried talking the mob out of attacking the family and their pizzeria because they “had nothing to do with what the police did”. Da Mayor could have jumped in with the mob, but instead he stood against the violence and defended what he believed was right. That is what I believe Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would’ve done, and it was the right thing to do.