New Marlins co-owner and former Yankee captain Derek Jeter said he would have no problem with Marlins players taking a knee during the national anthem.
“The thing that I think is frustrating, this whole rhetoric that is going back and forth. People lose sight of the fact of why someone was kneeling,” Jeter said Wednesday at his Turn 2 Foundation dinner in New York.
“They’re focused so much on the fact that they are kneeling as opposed to what they’re kneeling for. Peaceful protests are fine. You have your right to voice your opinion. As long as it’s a peaceful protest, everyone should be fine with that.”
Jeter didn’t say whether he would also take a knee or not.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have criticized the NFL over the last two months for allowing its players to express their freedom of speech during the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Trump called on NFL owners to fire players for protesting during the national anthem, which Trump said he believes is disrespectful toward the flag and military victims. Some of the players responded to Trump’s criticism saying that their protest isn’t meant to be a sign of disrespect. Pence walked out of a Colts game last weekend after he saw players taking a knee.
All of the NFL protests have been quiet gestures stemming from free-agent Colin Kaepernick’s protest last season. The former 49ers quarterback took a knee to protest against police violence, specifically against African-Americans and people of color.
NFL owners and commissioner Roger Goodell will discuss the protests in meetings next week.
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