Megan Rapinoe Never Sing National Anthem Again
The United States women's national soccer squad continues its quest to defend its World Cup title, while one of its biggest stars continues to take a stand.
Co-helm Megan Rapinoe is not participating in the national anthem.
While her teammates held their easily over their hearts and sang along as the anthem played prior to the team's thirteen-0 thrashing over Thailand final week, Rapinoe stared ahead, with her easily at her side, lips not moving.
Rapinoe, 33, also stood past during the anthem prior to the team'south three-0 win over Chile on Sunday.
She has not taken role in the anthem since 2016 and explained her decision in an essay she wrote for The Players' Tribune that aforementioned year.
"I haven't experienced over-policing, racial profiling, police brutality or the sight of a family unit member's body lying dead in the street," she wrote. "But I cannot stand idly by while at that place are people in this country who have had to deal with that kind of heartache.
"There is no perfect way to protest. I know that zippo I practise volition have away the pain of those families. But I feel in my middle information technology is right to continue to kneel during the national anthem, and I volition do whatever I can to be part of the solution."
Rapinoe is fully aware that her actions may not sit well with anybody, merely she says she is doing what she feels is right to help those most in need of having their liberty protected.
"I tin can sympathize if y'all call up that I'm disrespecting the flag by kneeling, just it is because of my utmost respect for the flag and the promise it represents that I accept chosen to demonstrate in this style," she wrote. "When I take a knee, I am facing the flag with my full body, staring straight into the middle of our country's ultimate symbol of liberty — considering I believe it is my responsibility, just every bit it is yours, to ensure that freedom is afforded to everyone in this state."
Not surprisingly, Rapinoe's activism has ruffled some feathers.
"And so that Megan Rapinoe lady wants to pull a Colin Kaepernik? That's it for Team United states in the World Cup for me. No time for that BS," one person wrote on Twitter.
"Megan Rapinoe is anti-American. Become out of this country you're not wanted. Yous are a disgraceful, disrespectful homo beingness," someone else wrote.
Rapinoe, who is openly gay, said former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who incited a lot of controversy for kneeling during the anthem, has definitely influenced her.
"Just Colin Kaepernick very much inspired me, and inspired an entire nation, and still does, to actually retrieve about these things," she told Yahoo Sports earlier this yr. "The way he spoke about them and then clearly, so matter-of-fact, wasn't trying to convince anyone. Just, 'This is what is happening, this is what I'm willing to do nearly it.' I found that extremely inspiring and convicting. Like, how can you non support?"
She besides said her conclusion to bypass the anthem is a statement confronting President Trump.
"Considering I'thousand every bit talented as I am, I get to be hither, you don't become to tell me if I can be here or non," she told Yahoo Sports. "Then it'due south kind of a good 'F you' to whatever sort of inequality or bad sentiments that the (Trump) administration might accept towards people who don't look exactly like him."
While she has plenty of detractors, several other people have rallied to Rapinoe's side.
"Megan Rapinoe was one of the first white people to kneel in support of Kaepernick. She'south immensely dauntless and whatsoever attempts to smear her as unpatriotic are simply the aforementioned one-time means to deflect from the issues she seeks to shed light on. She represents patriotism in it'due south truest form," someone wrote.
"I'm a Vietnam era veteran," another person wrote. "But desire you to know I stand up with you lot in solidarity with my artillery crossed and my head downward when I hear whatever national anthem. Sad how people call you out."
Rapinoe also doesn't think she will ever go dorsum to participating in the anthem.
"I'll probably never put my paw over my heart," she told Yahoo Sports. "I'll probably never sing the national anthem over again."
The U.S. squad will return to action Thursday when information technology squares off against Sweden at 3 p.yard. EST.
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Source: https://www.today.com/news/megan-rapinoe-won-t-participate-national-anthem-during-world-cup-t156389
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