Michael Jordan recently said that athletes who sit during the national anthem should lose their trophies. This has caused a huge amount of discussion. The ongoing debate about the role of protest in sports and the limits of free speech has been sparked again by this offensive comment.
This statement from Jordan shows how strongly he feels that national symbols, like the song, should be valued and honoured. He thinks that kneeling during the song takes away from its meaning and shows disrespect for athletes who have won medals for their country. Some people who agree with Jordan say that the national anthem should not be used as a protest time because it is a time for everyone to respect and unite.
Others, who disagree with Jordan’s statement, say that the freedom to protest is an important part of free speech and that players should be able to use their positions to talk about social problems. They believe that kneeling during the song is a strong and calm way to bring attention to problems like police abuse and racial racism. For these critics, telling athletes they should give up their awards for protesting goes against the ideas of free speech and personal expression.
The discussion about Jordan’s words is part of a larger national talk about how pride and protest can work together in sports. It makes me think about how to combine the right to respect national symbols with the right to speak out for social change. People are still talking about Jordan’s words, and the clash between traditional values and new forms of action is still a hot topic that will probably be talked about for months to come.
