Last week, another shooting took place in our nation. This horrific event happened at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, where a former Marine veteran (with mental health issues) open fired, killing 12 people and eventually himself. (Click Here to read more about this tragedy). That same weekend, NBA players in games taking place in California wore shirts during warm-ups that read Enough, with the names of the victims of the shooting on the back of the shirt. Not only was this act honoring the victims, it was also a form of the players expressing their beliefs on the issue of gun violence in our society.
Though this story could be perceived as civilians exercising their First Amendment rights, it is important to notice that the people voicing an opinion are professional athletes. There is a debate as to how much action these athletes (who represent an organization) can take when it comes to politics in our nation. There have been instances in the past where certain athletes were criticized for taking action or sharing a political belief : A Fox News host said Lebron James and Kevin Durant should just “shut up and dribble” after hearing them talk about the President in a commercial. (Click Here to watch the video). Colin Kaepernick was fired from his team after kneeling for the National Anthem to protest the racism in our country. The purpose of the First Amendment was to allow people to express their beliefs and say what they want (of course within reason). It should not matter if it is a normal civilian exercising this right or one of the most well known athletes in the world, but it is obviously a lot more noticeable when professionals take action. Some people question whether these athletes should be able to express their beliefs in certain situations, as they aren't just representing themselves but also that organization that they are playing for.
After reading this, what is your opinion on athletes “speaking out?” Is there any point where their actions might become too extreme or violate an organization’s rules, resulting in consequences?
Though this story could be perceived as civilians exercising their First Amendment rights, it is important to notice that the people voicing an opinion are professional athletes. There is a debate as to how much action these athletes (who represent an organization) can take when it comes to politics in our nation. There have been instances in the past where certain athletes were criticized for taking action or sharing a political belief : A Fox News host said Lebron James and Kevin Durant should just “shut up and dribble” after hearing them talk about the President in a commercial. (Click Here to watch the video). Colin Kaepernick was fired from his team after kneeling for the National Anthem to protest the racism in our country. The purpose of the First Amendment was to allow people to express their beliefs and say what they want (of course within reason). It should not matter if it is a normal civilian exercising this right or one of the most well known athletes in the world, but it is obviously a lot more noticeable when professionals take action. Some people question whether these athletes should be able to express their beliefs in certain situations, as they aren't just representing themselves but also that organization that they are playing for.
After reading this, what is your opinion on athletes “speaking out?” Is there any point where their actions might become too extreme or violate an organization’s rules, resulting in consequences?
They're citizens, too, so they should have the right to voice their opinions. At the same time, I hope they consider the fact that they have so much influence (maybe too much?) and that they should be especially responsible when they exercise free speech.
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