Many U.S. athletes have been kneeling in protest when their national anthem is playing for one underlying issue: to gain equality for all.

A lot of people may look down on the athletes kneeling during their anthem. There’s even been the “get out of my country” and other harassing statements towards these athletes. And although it may look to be disrespectful and abominable, what are the athlete’s reasoning behind the kneeling?

Colin Kaerpernick was one of the first athletes to start kneeling, in protest of blacks and other minorities not being treated equally.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in the flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaerpernick states.

Colin’s not the only athlete participating in this protest; NBA stars such as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe are supporting this protesting effort.

Megan Rapinoe has other reasons why she is taking a knee. To her, it doesn’t only mean that she is taking a knee for people of color.

She’s taking a knee to stand up for herself.

She’s taking a knee because of the fact that the LGBTQ community are not given the same rights as other citizens. They are constantly being oppressed by other people. Rapinoe also takes a knee for equality in men and women because even though we think we have come so close to equality, we are still a long way off.

“We need to look at all the things the flag and the anthem represent and all the things it means, and is it really protecting everybody?” says Rapinoe.  

Here in the United States, we take pride in our freedom and our rights.

This is why we stand for our flag.

Here in the United States, we are taking away people’s freedoms and rights.

This is why we kneel for our flag.

Whether people support this issue our discourage it, at least the facts are out there.

But we, as a nation, need to reflect: is the flag standing for all of us?