San Francisco 49er's quarterback, Colin Kaepernick has been making headlines this week for things other than football. At the beginning of the preseason game this past Friday against the Green Bay Packers, Kaepernick made a bold move; he sat in protest during the singing of the national anthem. He later explained his actions in an interview Saturday saying, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” and just like that, Colin Kaepernick became the most controversial player in the NFL almost overnight.

Since this event, the debate surrounding the incident has been blazing, and the 28-year-old has been under severe scrutiny, with his career in the NFL being very seriously threatened. But the question still remains: are Kaepernick's actions acceptable?

The answer in short is yes. As an American citizen he is excising a right in which the people that died for the flag in which he refuses to salute, gave to him.

When I look at this situation, I, like many others, feel very torn. I feel he should have chosen a different route to communicate his viewpoint. Also, I can't fully agree with his actions from an emotional standpoin as I am proud to be an American citizen, I wouldn't want to be from any other country. On the other hand, Colin Kaepernick is using the rights we have been granted in the 1st Amendment; and frankly how can you or I tell him that he is wrong to do so? That's the great thing about this country. We have freedom other nations don't have, and so the important thing here is whether we agree with Kaepernick or not, he has the freedom to express his opinions, and its our duty to support this ability to do so. Its what this country stands for, and it would be just as disrespectful to the flag if we didn't support all that it represents.